Born to Serve You
by Eternal Soldier
Summary: Post 5x13 Diamond of the Day Part 2 Alternate Ending. In which Gwaine holds on just long enough, and Morgana doesn't get to Arthur and Merlin in time to stop them from reaching the Lake of Avalon to save Arthur's life. Contains all canon characters and pairings. Spoilers for the entire series. May also contain a future romance for Merlin.
1. Race Against Time

_A/N: So I, along with many, many other people, was absolutely heartbroken at the end of the Merlin finale. So I decided to write my own version of 'what happens after', one in which Arthur survives because Gwaine puts up with Morgana's torture just long enough before he cracks. Yeah, I know this has been done before, but I thought I'd have a shot! :)_

_This is a multi-chapter work and will contain all canon pairings and characters in Merlin, and follows Merlin canon up until the ending of 'Diamond of the Day, Part 2', so it will therefore contain spoilers for the entire show. Hope you enjoy, and any and all reviews you would like to make on this work are most welcome! Also, this hasn't been betaed, so if I've made any errors, please let me know! :)_

_Note: this fic has also been published on my AO3 Account (BeneaththeHalo) so if you see it there too, it's still me- the fic hasn't been stolen :P_

* * *

**Born to Serve You**

* * *

_Chapter One: Race Against Time_

* * *

"Come on Arthur," Merlin whispered, pleaded, as he tried to revive the king, despair and dread filling his heart, threatening to overwhelm him. Arthur couldn't be dead, he just couldn't be… "We're nearly there, we've nearly reached Avalon, please, _please _don't die on me!"

But as the despair clutched at him, Merlin knew they would never reach their destination in time. They may have had the horses, but Arthur was no longer conscious, and there was no way Merlin would be able to get him to Avalon by himself…

Of _course_! Merlin could've almost hit himself when he thought of it- how had he not thought of it before? They didn't _need_ the horses; Merlin didn't need to carry Arthur all the way to the lake! There… there was somebody else who could do it!

"We'll be there before you know it, Arthur," Morgan whispered. "_Please_ hold on! Help is on the way, they'll get us to the lake and you can be healed…"

Merlin looked up to the sky (which seemed impossibly vast right now) and began crying out in the language that would call the Great Dragon to him. An eternity seemed to pass while Merlin was waiting; an eternity in which Arthur grew ever closer to death and Merlin was increasingly filled with hopelessness. But finally Merlin could hear the thumping of wings, and an almighty roar, and finally Kilgharrah appeared against the blue of the sky.

"Please, you have to help me," Merlin begged, when the dragon landed in front of him. "He hasn't got much time left. Please…"

"You know Arthur's destiny was to die at Mordred's hand, young warlock," Kilgharrah reminded him. "That is what was foretold, and that is it what will, very soon, come to pass."

"The future can change," Merlin said. "Please, I can feel him slipping away… I can't lose him, please…"

Kilgharrah studied Merlin curiously. "You've grown to become very fond of Arthur, haven't you?" he said. "A far cry from when you first met him."

Merlin nodded. "It's true," he said. "When I first met Arthur, I couldn't stand the sight of him. I thought he was arrogant, and rude, and just a typical noble. But now… now I know how good a person he truly is. He's my best friend. I can't… I can't lose him." Merlin's voice caught in his throat as he spoke his last sentence.

"He means a great deal to you," said Kilgharrah. "I do not know if we will be able to reach Avalon in time to save him, young warlock. But… I feel as if I owe you this. I will try."

"Thank you," Merlin whispered. The Great Dragon lowered himself to the ground, allowing Merlin to lift the dying king onto its back. He then climbed on behind Arthur, carefully holding him in place, and Kilgharrah took off. He clutched tightly to his king and to Kilgharrah, silently imploring the dragon to fly as fast as he possibly could. An eternity seemed to pass while they were in the air and then, finally, they were landing on the shores of the Lake of Avalon.

"Thank you," Merlin whispered to the dragon.

"If it means saving Arthur, then I am glad to help, young warlock," Kilgharrah replied. "Now hurry. I fear the king only has a few breaths left in him."

Merlin immediately leapt off of the Great Dragon, getting Arthur down as gently as he dared without going too slowly. "Come on, come on, Arthur," Merlin muttered, even though the King was unconscious and couldn't hear him- especially over the sound of Kilgharrah flying away. Merlin was almost angry that the dragon was leaving instead of helping them, but he knew that Kilgharrah would've stayed if he could be of use. And besides, Merlin's priority was saving his king. He could still feel Arthur's chest rising and falling though (albeit slowly and with difficulty), and knew he was still alive.

Laying Arthur down beside the Lake of Avalon, Merlin could see the sweat gleaming on the man's face. He wasn't going to hold on much longer, this Merlin knew. If he was going to save Arthur, it was now or never.

Standing up and focusing his gaze on the lake, Merlin began chanting, his eyes flashing gold as he did so. And Merlin could _feel_ time slowing down around him, and the little blue lights flying over the lake became actual shapes. He could make out the features of the Sidhe.

"Why have you come here, Emrys?" one of them asked.

"Arthur is dying, please! You have to help me!" Merlin begged. "I know your people are the only ones who have the power to save him- please, please heal him."

"And why should we help him, Emrys?" said the Sidhe. "Arthur has been no friend to our kind- to anyone with magic. And you have been our enemy in the past."

"Only when you threatened Arthur and the future of Albion," Merlin reminded him. "And King Arthur will no longer be an enemy of the magical community. I know it."

"You cannot speak for the king," said the Sidhe. "Even you cannot know his mind."

"I can this time," said Merlin. "I saw it on his face, right before he passed out. I told him of my magic, and he accepts me. Accepts _it_. And he will bring magic back to this land."

The Sidhe was silent for the longest time; so long that Merlin was sure he would refuse. But suddenly, a strange sort of smile crossed his face and he said, "Very well. But we will need your help, Emrys."

Merlin was confused at this; surely, in this case, even he wouldn't be able to help. But he didn't want to question the Sidhe now- not when they'd agreed to help Arthur, and the king had so little time left. He nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Use your magic, Emrys. Let it flow out of you, until it touches the king. It will know what to do."

Merlin was still thoroughly confused and more than a little wary, but because he knew it was the only way to save Arthur, he did as the Sidhe asked. Kneeling down beside Arthur, he reached for his magic, letting it fill him, warming his body, his mind… his heart. Arthur would be okay; he could _feel_ it.

Merlin's magic began flowing out of him, filling the forest around him and reaching out for Arthur. He felt it connecting to the Sidhe's magic and beginning to work. The Sidhe's magic felt strange to Merlin as it melded with his own; almost cold and empty, not at all like the warmth that always filled Merlin when he performed his magic. He supposed it made sense, though. The Sidhe did live an immortal life- basically frozen in time, flying over the cold waters of the Lake of Avalon. And the Sidhe had none of the warmth and joy in their heart that humans did; they cared very little for anyone other than themselves.

Merlin could also feel something else building within him- something he'd felt once before, although he couldn't quite put his finger on where or when it was. He remembered the feeling, though, and he felt _powerful_- like at that moment, there was nothing he couldn't do. Arthur would be saved. He would live. Merlin _knew _it.

Merlin felt his gaze being drawn to Arthur. He felt as if Arthur was beginning to stir, yet there was no sign of movement from the king. Then he realised. Something was happening to Arthur's wound. He not only saw, but _felt_, the fragment of Mordred's blade being pulled from Arthur's body. The fragment quivered, fighting against the combined magic of Merlin and the Sidhe. Its job was to kill Arthur, and being removed from his body meant that it could not fulfil that duty. Eventually, though the magic was stronger than the fragment, and it was pulled out of Arthur's body, clattering onto the ground beside him. Merlin and the Sidhe's magic washed over Arthur, wiping the blade's poison from his body. But their job wasn't done yet.

The fragment of blade may have been removed from Arthur's body, but he had still lost a lot of blood from the wound the sword had created. The wound was huge and red and raw, and still covered in blood. Merlin didn't have any medical supplies with him, and the wound could become infected before Merlin could get Arthur back to Gaius. Merlin reached out with his magic for Arthur's wound- and he felt the Sidhe's magic pulling away.

While not ending it completely, Merlin instantly withdrew his magic from Arthur. Healing magic had never been his strong point (in fact, he was rather poor at it), and he was afraid that casting a healing spell of this magnitude would wind up killing Arthur rather than saving him.

"What are you doing?" Merlin demanded. "We still have to heal his wound!"

"Our job was to save the king from death," said the Sidhe Merlin had spoken to before. "We have done that."

"But his wound could still get infected before I get him back to Camelot!" Merlin protested. "We have to heal it!"

"We don't," said the Sidhe. "You, however, do."

"What? Me?" Merlin gasped. "I can't perform healing magic. I'm not strong enough."

"Maybe before you went into the Crystal Cave, you weren't," said the Sidhe. "But now, even this should be possible for you."

"You know about the Crystal Cave?"

"We know a lot, Emrys. Now, heal your king's wound."

Merlin bowed his head once more, looking down at Arthur. For the first time since the Sidhe had agreed to help him, panic was setting in. He had no idea how to do this. He had tried to use healing magic on Arthur before, but it hadn't worked. And this was an even greater wound, caused by a far more powerful weapon. The wound Merlin had tried to heal before had been caused by an arrow shot by a bandit. This wound had been caused by a sword forged in a dragon's breath wielded by Mordred. If Merlin hadn't been able to heal that wound, what hope did he have to heal this one?

Then Merlin remembered the spell that Kilgharrah had given to him not long after, that had allowed him to heal Morgana and save her life. Merlin knew that the same spell wouldn't work on Arthur- it was a completely different wound- but that memory had reminded him of something else. Because of the magic imparted on him by Kilgharrah, he had been able to heal Morgana. Maybe, just maybe, his experiences in the Crystal Cave meant that he'd be able to heal Arthur, and not have to worry about his wound getting infected before they got back to Camelot.

Merlin took a deep breath to steel himself. He was going to do this. He could do this. He reached down, his hand hovering over Arthur's wound. For a moment, he panicked; how would he know which spell to use? How would he know which spell would work? While once again reaching for Arthur with his magic, though, a sense of calm came over Merlin. As he began to work on Arthur's wound, he found the words of the spell effortlessly falling from his lips, as though he'd used the spell a thousand times before. And as Merlin recited the spell, he could see Arthur's wound shifting, stitching itself up, becoming smaller… until only a patch of red skin remained where it used to be. Merlin released his magic, relief and pure _joy_ flooded through him.

"I did it," Merlin breathed. For he _had_ done it. He had healed Arthur. He had saved him from death. Arthur would be able to return to Camelot, and continue to rule over his kingdom. "You're going to live, Arthur," Merlin whispered, even though Arthur was still unconscious and therefore couldn't hear him.

Merlin looked up from Arthur, across the lake of Avalon, only to see the Sidhe retreating, heading across the lake to the island in the middle.

"Where are you going?" Merlin asked, confused.

"Back to Avalon," the Sidhe replied. "We have done our part. We have saved your king. We are no longer needed here."

"Wait," said Merlin. "One thing. I need you to promise me something."

"Promise?" The Sidhe repeated. "We don't need to promise you anything. We have already helped you save your king."

"You may have, but that doesn't mean you won't try to hurt him in the future," Merlin pointed out. "Your people have already tried to kill him and take over his kingdom. How do I know you won't try again in the future?"

"Because you are by his side, Emrys," said the Sidhe. "We know how powerful you are. And we know you could destroy us all if we went against you again." Merlin remained silent, still feeling sceptical about the Sidhe's words. "Very well. Emrys, on behalf of my people I promise you that we will never again try to hurt or kill your king or harm his kingdom again. We know what the consequences would be if we went against this."

Merlin nodded his head in acceptance of the Sidhe's words. "You have done me a great service today. I will leave you in peace."

And with that the Sidhe retreated away across the lake, until Merlin and Arthur were alone once more. Merlin looked down at Arthur again. The king looked peaceful and relaxed now; Merlin knew that he was just sleeping. It wouldn't be long until he woke up now. All Merlin had to do was wait.

* * *

_E/N: So that's the first chapter! It hasn't diverted much from canon yet, but that should change very soon! Once again, I hope you enjoyed reading so far, and please feel free to leave a review!_


	2. One Last Confrontation

_A/N: Yay, new chapter, yay! :) This is quite a long one, too- a lot longer than chapter 1, anyway. It still doesn't diverge much from canon, but events that happen in the show do happen differently here. And there is also the beginning of a conversation that I thought Merlin and Arthur really needed to have- before they get interrupted, that is. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter Two: One Last Confrontation_

* * *

Queen Guinevere stood alone in Camelot's throne room, clutching Arthur's seal tightly in both hands. Arthur had to be fine. He would be fine. She knew it. He had Merlin with him. Merlin, his best friend and his most loyal servant. Merlin, who had done far more for Arthur and his kingdom than anybody had known. Merlin, who was the warlock that had saved them all.

In hindsight, Gwen realised that the signs had been there. There had been far too many situations that Merlin and Arthur should not have gotten out of or survived for it to be a coincidence. And then there were all those lucky accidents that had led to Arthur and the knights winning fights that even the greatest of warriors should not have won. But then again, Gwen mused, these were signs you wouldn't have noticed unless you knew they were there. Merlin had done a very good job of keeping his secret.

Speaking of Merlin's secret… Gaius, the only man alive who had known Merlin's secret, had just entered the thrown room and was approaching Gwen. She looked up at him hopefully.

"Any word from them?" she asked.

"None yet," said Gaius, and Gwen's face fell. "But no news could be good news, my lady. It means that nothing bad has happened."

"But would we hear from Merlin straight away if… if Arthur…" Gwen couldn't finish her sentence. She just couldn't bear that thought.

Gaius thought for a long moment. "I think so," he said finally. "Merlin would be filled with grief, yes. But I think he would see it as his last duty to Arthur to bring news of his death to you. If anything happened, Merlin would let us know."

Gwen was about to say something else, but she was interrupted when the great double doors to the throne room opened and Sir Leon walked in, a very worried look on his face.

Gwen's heart instantly sank when she got a look at Leon. "What's happened? Is it Arthur?" she asked desperately, searching for something, _anything_, in Leon's expression that would give her an answer.

"No," Leon said. "It's Gwaine and Percival. They've gone." Leon took a deep, steadying breath before continuing.

"They've gone after Morgana."

* * *

It felt like an eternity that Merlin had been sitting at the edge of the Lake of Avalon, waiting for Arthur to wake up. He knew that Arthur had suffered a massive trauma, and it would take his body a while to recuperate and recover all that lost energy. But every moment that passed meant that it was growing more and more likely that Morgana would find them. And Merlin would find it a lot easier to face her if he didn't have to keep more of an eye on Arthur than he normally did because the man still wasn't awake.

"Merlin…?" a voice groaned, and Merlin nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the sound, before he realised there could only be one source: Arthur. His king. The Once and Future King was alive.

"Arthur? Arthur, is that you?" Merlin asked.

"Of course it's me!" Arthur exclaimed, his voice still rather strained but far stronger than before. "Geez, Merlin, how much of an idiot can you be?"

Merlin had to laugh; Arthur may have been insulting him, but this was a good sign. It meant that he was pulling through.

"Somebody's as much of an arrogant prat as ever," Merlin shot back, but he was still laughing. He'd done it. He'd defied the prophecy. Arthur was going to live.

"Not that I'm not glad that I'm alright and all, but wasn't I dead a few minutes ago?" Arthur asked.

"I sort of saved you. Again," said Merlin, kind of afraid of how Arthur would react.

"Well, uh, thank you, Merlin," said Arthur.

"Twice in one day?" said Merlin. "Wow, maybe that injury affected your mind, too."

"Very funny, Merlin," said Arthur, but he was smiling. "Do I want to know how you saved me?"

"Probably not," Merlin said. "You probably don't want to know about the Sidhe, considering they've tried to kill you in the past."

"What?" Arthur cried.

"Don't sound so surprised. A lot of people have tried to kill you," Merlin pointed out. "But yeah… you remember Sophia?"

Arthur nodded slowly, not liking the sound of where this was going. He remembered what he'd nearly run off to do with her.

"Well, uh, her and her father had been banished from Avalon, the land of eternal youth, and had to live a mortal life in a mortal body. And to get Sophia back in they had to offer the soul of a mortal prince…"

"And they were going to offer me," Arthur concluded.

"Yeah, but I kinda blew them up before it got to that point."

"Of course you did," Arthur sighed, before struggling to sit up. He may not have been dying anymore, but he still felt rather weak. Merlin moved to help him up, even when Arthur tried to wave him away.

"Just let me," Merlin insisted. "After all, I was born to serve you."

"So you keep saying," said Arthur. "You mind explaining that to me?"

"'Not right now?'" Arthur repeated. "You may be a sorcerer, but I'm still your king."

"Well, technically I'm a warlock, but we'll talk about that later, too," said Merlin. "What I meant was that we don't really have time now. You may have killed Mordred, but Morgana's still out there. And she's going to be coming after us."

Arthur sighed. "Morgana," he said, using his half-sister's name as a curse. "Does she know about you?"

Merlin nodded. "She does," he replied. "That's why I didn't ride out with you to Camlann. She took my magic from me, and I had to go and get it back."

"She took your magic from you?" Arthur repeated. "Why on earth would she do that?"

"Because she may have been told that I would be the one to kill her," Merlin answered.

Arthur stared at Merlin in awe. "You're really that powerful," he said.

Merlin nodded. "I'm still me," he said, as if suddenly worried that Arthur had changed his mind now that he wasn't dying, and that he _was_ angry with Merlin.

As if he knew exactly what Merlin was thinking, Arthur sighed, putting a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "I haven't changed my mind, Merlin," he promised. "I know what you've done for me now. What you've done for my- no, _our_ kingdom. And I could never, ever, have you killed for that."

Merlin couldn't help the tears that built in his eyes at Arthur's words. In all the years he'd served at Arthur's side, all he'd ever wanted was to be accepted by his best friend. And now he had that.

"Are you crying, _Mer_lin?" Arthur joked. "Geez, stop acting like such a girl!"

Merlin couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, Arthur. Can't help it. I can't tell you how much I've wanted you to accept my magic."

"I don't think I could _not _accept your magic," Arthur replied. "It doesn't change the fact that you're still my idiotic, bumbling, fool of a servant."

"And I wouldn't change a thing," said Merlin, echoing his words from earlier.

"Good. I'm glad. I don't want you to change."

"Yeah, you'd get bored," Merlin laughed. "You know you would. And a bored king is not a very good one."

"So you're saying I'm only a good king because of you?" said Arthur.

"Pretty much, yeah," said Merlin with a grin.

Arthur's response to this, however, was very serious. "That is true though, Merlin," he said. "I may have been a good king anyway, I don't know, but I am a far, far greater king because I have you by my side. Camelot would not be the kingdom it is today without you. And I promise, when we get back to Camelot, you will get the recognition and reward you deserve."

Before Merlin could respond, however, there came the sound of something stirring in the trees. "How touching," said a cold, female voice that sounded horribly familiar. The two men on the lake turned towards the sound. "Too bad you won't be returning to Camelot, dear brother."

"Morgana," Arthur spat, at the high priestess stepped out of the trees.

"I'm surprised to see you alive," Morgana said conversationally, although Merlin and Arthur could hear the barely perceptible anger in her voice. "Last I heard, Mordred had run you through with his sword. A sword forged in a dragon's breath."

"Well, as you can see I'm healed now," Arthur replied. He gestured towards Merlin, who had risen to his feet, looking at Morgana with no emotion on his face. It took Arthur a few moments to realise that Merlin held the king's sword in his hand.

_Does Merlin mean to run Morgana through?_ Arthur thought to himself. _But no sword could kill Morgana. And she'd never let him close enough to try!_

"Emrys," Morgana said, and even though Arthur had never heard the name before, he knew she was talking about Merlin. _Maybe that's what magical people call him_.

"You shouldn't be so surprised to see me, Morgana," Merlin said, and Arthur was surprised to hear the coldness in his voice. He had never heard Merlin sound like that before. "You know what I am destined to do."

"I took your magic from you. You should be powerless!" Morgan exclaimed, as if saying this would again make it true.

"You should know that it's impossible to keep my magic from me. At least permanently," Merlin replied. "I was _born_ with magic. I _am_ magic. You cannot just take who I am away from me."

"That still does not explain how you managed to get your magic back," said Morgana, trying not to let her voice betray her fear. "It should've been impossible."

"For most people, it probably would've been impossible, or at least incredibly difficult," Merlin agreed. "But even among those with magic, I'm not most people."

"You still will not kill me," said Morgana, holding her head high. "No mortal blade can stop me!"

"I am aware of that," said Merlin.

And then, Arthur was stunned when Merlin's voice sounded in his head. _Whatever happens, whatever you do, keep her talking, _he said. _Make _sure_you keep her distracted._

Arthur struggled not to speak or betray the fact that Merlin had spoken to him in his mind, but eventually he was able to keep still. He was not able to keep still, however, when Merlin advanced on Morgana and the witch used her powers to throw him against a tree, knocking him unconscious.

"Merlin!" Arthur cried, automatically reaching out for his friend. He couldn't do much more than that, though; he still didn't have the strength to move properly, and that one tiny movement exerted him. He just remained where he was, half-sitting, half-lying, preying that by some miracle, help would arrive in time.

"Aw, poor Merlin," said Morgana mockingly, looking down on the unconscious warlock and moving closer to him as she did so. "You worked so hard to protect Arthur and Camelot. And now it will have all been for nothing."

"Leave him alone!" Arthur cried, just as Morgana was about to reach Merlin. Arthur remembered his servant's silent words: _Whatever you do, whatever happens, keep her talking_.

"Well, look at you, Arthur, so protective of your manservant," said Morgana, turning her attention to Arthur. "Even after everything he's done. Even after he lied to you all these years."

"Everything he did was to protect and serve me and Camelot," Arthur defended. "He is the most selfless and bravest man I have ever and will ever know. I've already forgiven him for keeping the secret of his magic from me. I didn't even have to think about it. He is still the same man I've always known. He is still my best friend. He only ever used his magic for good. Unlike you, Morgana. You've only ever used your magic for evil and to try and take over my kingdom."

"And yet I am the one who is about to succeed," Morgana laughed. Neither Morgana nor Arthur was paying any attention to Merlin anymore; they were too busy staring daggers at each other. And Arthur was still repeating Merlin's instructions over and over in his head: _Keep her talking. Keep her distracted._

"You will never succeed, Morgana," Arthur declared. "You will never win. Camelot will never yield to you."

"Oh, it will," said Morgana. "Your beloved kingdom will fall to me once more, when it no longer had Emrys to protect it." Morgana turned back to where Merlin was lying unconscious against the tree-

But he was gone.

Morgana looked around frantically, but there was no sign of the warlock anywhere. Or of Arthur's sword. "Where is he?" Morgana cried, but Arthur had no answer. He had no idea what had happened to Merlin. "Tell me!" Morgana demanded. "Where has he gone?"

A huge part of Arthur wanted to yell back at Morgana, but he knew that if he did she would go looking for Merlin. He may not have known himself where Merlin was, but he sure wasn't going to send Morgana looking for him. Instead he just sat there, looking up at Morgana, his chin raised as if in defiance.

Morgana drew her sword from its sheath, advancing on Arthur. "Where has your servant gone?" she demanded again. When Arthur remained silent, Morgana pointed her sword at him, its tip dangerously close to his throat. Arthur was still silent, still not moving even though fear was beginning to fill him. He had no idea how they were getting out of this one.

"No matter?" Morgana continued. "I will enjoy killing you first, and then I will hunt down Merlin. Soon both of you will be joining Sir Gwaine and Sir Percival in the afterlife."

"I wouldn't do that if I was you," said a voice from behind Morgana, and Arthur saw his half-sister tense as the point of a sword was pressed into her back.

"Merlin!" Arthur breathed, and he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face at the sight of his manservant. He should've known. He should've known that this had been part of Merlin's plan all along. For when Morgana had been distracted by Arthur, Merlin had snuck up behind her with Arthur's sword in hand. Arthur had no idea how Merlin would kill Morgana with that sword. But for the first time since Morgana had found them, Arthur had hope.

"Emrys," Morgana breathed, the fear that filled her now unmistakeable. Morgana was terrified. "How on earth do you plan on killing me? You know no mortal blade can kill me." Hope crept into Morgana's voice at the end of her sentence, as if she believed that Merlin had no way of killing her.

"No, you're right about that. No mortal blade can kill you," Merlin agreed. "But Mordred wasn't the only one with a blade forged in a dragon's breath."

Morgana's expression changed to one of horror when she realised what Merlin meant. "No!" she gasped. "No! It can't be!"

"Yes," Merlin replied. "Goodbye, Morgana."

And he drove the sword into Morgana's back.

Arthur didn't know what he had expected; Morgana disappeared in a burst of sparks and magic, maybe, or even spontaneously combusting. Neither of these things happened, however. Instead Merlin pulled the sword back out of Morgana and the high priestess fell to her knees, gasping. She couldn't reach the wound on her back to put pressure on it, but it was clear that it would be no use; the life was draining out of Morgana now. It was clear she only had minutes left.

Arthur pushed himself to his feet (even though it took a lot of effort) and moved to his dying sister's side. "Arthur… Arthur please…" Morgana begged, reaching out with a shaking hand.

Almost without thinking, Arthur took Morgana's hand in his. "It's your time, Morgana. This war between us is over. You know it is. You've lost."

"No…"

A large part of Arthur hated Morgana; hated her for what she'd done to his kingdom and for all the people she'd condemned to a painful death. She had become a cruel and ruthless person, and there was no way that she could be allowed to live. Too many more people would die, and she would not rest in her pursuit to take over Camelot. But in this moment, Arthur couldn't help but feel sorry for Morgana. All she'd ever wanted was for people like her to be accepted. Well, now they would be. Except she wouldn't be alive to see it.

"Let go, Morgana," Arthur whispered.

And she did. Arthur could tell that Morgana was still trying to fight- she had never been one to give up easily- but it was no use. The wound Merlin had inflicted on Morgana was too much, and the witch closed her eyes for the last time. With one final breath, she was gone.

Arthur let go of Morgana's hand as her lifeless body crumpled to the ground. He got to his feet, unable to take his eyes off her. "She's dead," he said. "She's actually dead."

_It's all over_, Arthur thought to himself. _The war has finally been won. Now all I need to do is have a long discussion with Merlin_.

Speaking of Merlin… Arthur looked away from Morgana to find his manservant still holding Arthur's sword and staring at Morgana's body with his mouth half open. It was very clear that his mind was elsewhere.

"Merlin?" Arthur said, but Merlin did not respond. "Merlin!" he repeated, louder this time. Finally Merlin turned to face Arthur, looking like he had forgotten that the king was there. "Are you okay?"

"I killed her…" was Merlin's response. "She's actually dead."

"You've killed before," Arthur pointed out.

"I know, but this one feels… different somehow," said Merlin, still looking at Morgana. "I feel like my entire life before now has been building to this, and now that she's dead I don't know what to do any more."

"You do what you always do," said Arthur. "You stand at my side, and you help me take care of Camelot. Except this time, I will know just how much you have done for this kingdom." Arthur extended his arm, and he and Merlin gripped each other at the elbows. They had never said as much to each other, and they probably never would, but they were like brothers. They had been through so much together, seen so much evil and destruction… it was impossible to go through that with someone and _not_ become close with them. Both Arthur and Merlin knew that they wouldn't be the man they were today without the other.

The two men stood in the same position for a long moment, just looking at each other and thinking. Merlin was the one to finally break the silence.

"What do we do with Morgana's body?" he asked Arthur. "We can't just leave it here, where anyone or any_thing_ could find it. Nobody deserves to be disrespected like that."

"Even after everything she's done to this kingdom, and to you?" Arthur pointed out. When Merlin just looked at him, he said, "No, you're right. Not even she deserves that. After everything she's done, she was still my sister. I… I don't really want to give her a grave though. I do _not_ want people using it as some sort of shrine."

"We… we could burn the body," Merlin suggested. "Then maybe she could be at peace, like she hasn't been in so long."

"But how?" said Arthur. "Do we even _have_ anything to burn a body?" Merlin just looked at Arthur, raising one eyebrow. "Magic. Of course."

"It's the easiest and safest way," said Merlin. "If I start the fire by magic, I can control it. Make sure we don't accidentally set anything else on fire. Or accidentally burn ourselves."

"Merlin, you don't need to justify it to me," Arthur said. "Just use it."

"Sorry," said Merlin. "It still feels weird, using my magic in front of you."

"It's still feels weird talking about it and seeing it, too," Arthur admitted. "I don't know if I'll _ever_ get used to it. But not being used to something doesn't mean I don't accept it."

"Thank you, Arthur," said Merlin sincerely. He just looked at Arthur for a moment, a small smile on his face, before heading over to the lake and pulling a small wooden boat out from behind some reeds.

"How did you know that was there?" Arthur asked.

"I've been here before," Merlin replied. "I've… well, let's just say that Elyan is not the only person I've farewelled this way." Arthur could tell that there was more to Merlin's story, but he knew that now wasn't the time to ask him. He could tell by the look on Merlin's face that this was a sensitive subject.

"Can you… can you bring her body over for me?" Merlin asked suddenly and Arthur obliged, bringing over Morgana's body and lying it down in the tiny boat. She looked almost peaceful already, like all the anger she'd held onto in life had left her in death.

As Arthur stepped back he heard Merlin mutter something, and the boat began to move out into the middle of the lake, as if of its own accord. Arthur knew that the boat wasn't moving on its own, though. Merlin had used his magic to do it. This time, Arthur turned to look at Merlin when he spoke again, and a shiver ran down the king's spine as he saw his servant's eyes glow gold. Now _that_ he would never grow used to.

Arthur's attention was diverted from Merlin when he heard a sudden roaring sound, and he realised that Morgana's body and the tiny vessel it rested on had caught fire. Both Arthur and Merlin watched in silence as it continued to burn, until nothing was left but ash.

"Maybe she'll be at peace, now," Merlin sighed. "Maybe all that anger she held in life will be gone in death."

"Maybe," Arthur agreed. Part of Arthur did wish that this were true. But another, rather strong part of him was thinking, _she's gone. She's gone and she's never coming back. The threat that Morgana posed is finally over_.

* * *

_E/N: So now Morgana's dead, and Arthur's awake and well! I don't think the next chapter is going to deviate much from canon either (at least in the first half) but after that it definitely will. I hope you're looking forward to it!_

_Also, something I'd always wondered after watching the 'Merlin' finale was what happened to Morgana's body. We saw what happened with Arthur's, and we can assume that Percival would've take Gwaine back to Camelot or to the Lake of Avalon, but there's never any hint about what happened to Morgana's body, which is why I put that in this chapter. :)_

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and any reviews/favourites/follows are most welcome! :) (Oh and once again, this chapter hasn't been betaed, so if you see any mistakes please let me know!_


	3. The Dragon's Rescue Flight

_A/N: So this probably the last chapter that is closely related to canon- although it does divulge a little bit, when Arthur meets someone who has played an important role in Merlin's life. *hint hint look at the chapter title :P* It also fills in some gaps from the finale- namely, what exactly happened with Percival and Gwaine._

* * *

_Chapter Three: The Dragon's Rescue Flight_

* * *

Merlin was the first of the two men to move. "Should we head back to Camelot?" he suggested. "Gwen will want to know you're alive. And the people will be yearning for news of their king."

"Not yet," said Arthur, completely ignoring the mention of Gwen and surprising Merlin. He would've thought that Arthur would've wanted to head back to Camelot without delay, to see his queen and reassure her and the people that he was okay.

"Well why not?"

"Something Morgana said to me, while you were sneaking up on her…" said Arthur, his heart sinking as he thought about it. "_Soon both of you will be joining Sir Gwaine and Sir Percival in the afterlife_," he repeated.

"Gwaine and Percival?" said Merlin. "But… no… how? Surely they were back at the castle?"

"They must've gone after Morgana, to try and kill her themselves," said Arthur. "We have to find them. It may not be too late."

"But how do we find them in time, though?" Merlin asked. "We don't know where they are. They could be close, but there could be days of riding between them and us! And what if we look in the wrong place? That could add even more days!"

"Surely there's something you can do?" Arthur said frantically to Merlin. "Anything to help us find them?"

Merlin didn't know what to say. He didn't know whether there even was a spell to locate Gwaine and Percival, or to transport both Merlin _and_ Arthur to the two missing knights… and then it hit him. There was a way. There was a way for them to find Gwaine and Percival and get to them quickly. But Arthur wasn't going to like it.

"I think there is something," Merlin said to his king, who looked at him hopefully. "But I don't think you're going to be too happy about it."

"I've already found out that my manservant is a warlock today, _Mer_lin," Arthur pointed out. "I'm sure I can handle whatever this is."

"I'm not so sure about that," Merlin muttered, loud enough for Arthur to hear him. Arthur was confused; Merlin had already revealed himself to be a powerful warlock. What on earth could be worse than that?

"If there is a chance that we could save Gwaine and Percival, we need to take it," said Arthur.

Merlin nodded slowly and took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Okay." He looked up to the heavens, crying out in a language Arthur didn't understand. It seemed to be the same language that Merlin had been speaking in before when performing magic, except this time it seemed different somehow. Merlin's voice was louder, more guttural, more… inhuman.

An almighty roar sounded in the sky above them; a sound that Arthur knew wasn't coming from Merlin, and a sound that filled Arthur with fear. It was a sound that he had heard before, most recently at Camlann- coming from Morgana's dragon.

Arthur turned to look at Merlin, shock and fear evident in his face. "It's not Morgana's dragon," said Merlin, in reply to Arthur's unasked question. "Although, I think for you this could be even worse…"

"What on earth could be so bad that it's worse than the dragon that helped Morgana, _Mer_lin?" Arthur scoffed.

It was mere minutes before the roaring sound overhead grew very, very close, and Arthur knew that the dragon was nearly there. Sure enough, the sky above the two men grew dark, and a great, huge dragon appeared- a dragon that, with horror, Arthur realised he recognised. He'd seen this dragon before. And he knew Merlin was right- seeing this dragon was far, far worse than seeing the dragon that had helped Morgana. Because this was the dragon that had tried to destroy Camelot.

Arthur turned to glare at Merlin, an accusatory look in his eyes. "I killed that dragon!" Arthur cried. "That dragon should be dead!"

"You didn't actually kill him," said Merlin, pleading silently with Arthur to understand. Arthur could help but notice that Merlin called the dragon 'him' rather than 'it'. "I… I sent him away," Merlin admitted. "I ordered him to never attack Camelot again."

"How on earth could you do that?" Arthur asked. "Only a Dragonlord has the power to-" Arthur cut himself off, the realisation hitting him like a rockslide. It was true: only a Dragonlord had the power to command a dragon, which was what Merlin had just done and apparently done in the past. And that meant only one thing. Merlin was a Dragonlord.

As Arthur realised this, the dragon landed on the expanse of grass in front of Merlin and Arthur. It inclined its head towards Merlin, who bowed back to it. It took all Arthur had in him not to scoff. Of course Merlin would bow to a dragon and not to his own king.

"I see you did it, young warlock," said the dragon, with a nodded towards Arthur.

"We would never have made it in time without your help," Merlin replied, a small smile on his face. Arthur was confused; what had the dragon helped them with? His question was answered, however, when Merlin spoke again. "If it wasn't for you taking us to the Lake of Avalon, Arthur would not have survived. Thank you."

So Merlin had called the dragon to carry them to the lake. No wonder they'd gotten there before Morgana had caught up to them. But why would the same dragon who had nearly destroyed Camelot help to save the life of its king?

As if it had noticed Arthur's confused, the dragon turned its head to look at him. "I imagine you have a lot of questions, young king," it said.

Arthur nodded slowly, not trusting himself to speak. What _did_ you say to a dragon, anyway?

"Merlin will be able to answer them for you later," the dragon assured him. "For now, I believe you called me back here for a reason?"

"We believe Sir Gwaine and Sir Percival's lives to be in danger," Merlin answered, sounding a lot more formal than Arthur could ever remember him being. He obviously respected this dragon a great deal. "Before I- before I killed her, Morgana told Arthur that Gwaine and Percival were dead, but there is a chance they may still be alive. We won't be able to get to them in time alone and on foot, and we don't know where they are. We need you to help us find them."

"You killed the witch? Good," said the dragon. "And once again, I am not a horse, Merlin."

"I know," said Merlin with a smirk. "You could eat horses for breakfast if you wanted."

"I certainly could," the dragon laughed. _Laughed_. Now _that_ was a sound Arthur had never even dreamed he would hear. "But nevertheless, Merlin, I will help you, as I always have."

"Thank you, old friend," said Merlin. He moved towards the dragon, gesturing to Arthur with one hand. "Come on."

"You seriously want me to _ride a dragon_?" Arthur exclaimed, cautiously moving closer. Merlin, on the other hand, was already standing by the dragon's side, as if this was something he did every day. _I wouldn't be surprised if it is something he does every day,_ Arthur thought to himself.

"Come on, it's not that terrifying," said Merlin. "It's actually pretty fun, once you get used to it. And perfectly safe."

"Merlin, no offence, but I don't think this is something I _want_ to get used to," said Arthur. Merlin just laughed, while the dragon watched them banter, amused.

"Well, I guess you're just going to have to deal, aren't you?" said Merlin. "It's our only option."

"Are you forgetting again that I am your king, _Mer_lin?"

"No, sire," said Merlin. "Now come on." Merlin climbed onto the dragon's back, motioning for Arthur to do the same. Gulping, Arthur moved to the dragon's side, trying not to show any fear to either the creature or to Merlin. He was the King of Camelot- he wasn't meant to show any fear. But still, fear was what he felt as he climbed onto the dragon's back, especially when he nearly slipped off and fell back to the ground. Merlin grabbed his hand when Arthur was close enough, and he hoisted Arthur into a sitting position behind him.

"The lives of my friends are at stake," said Merlin to the dragon. "Let's go."

Arthur stomach leapt into his mouth as the dragon flapped its wings, taking off into the air and lifting them above the forest. Arthur could never remember being up this high before; he gripped Merlin's waist tightly and took one look over the side before squeezing his eyes shut. No, he was not looking down again. Despite the fact that Merlin had assured him that riding the dragon was perfectly safe, Arthur couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to fall off and plunge to his death. He had no idea how Merlin could stand it. People just weren't meant to be up that high.

"You know if you opened your eyes, Arthur, you'd be able to appreciate the view we have of Camelot!" Merlin yelled to him without turning around.

"I believe I've found your friends, young warlock," said the dragon, after what felt like far too long to Arthur but was actually no time at all.

Arthur thought he heard Merlin mutter something (it was hard to tell over the roaring of the wind around them), and then his manservant said, "Yes, that's them! That's Gwaine and Percival!"

As soon as Merlin had spoken, the dragon began diving towards the ground, sending Arthur's stomach leaping into his mouth once more. _Thank goodness this flight is nearly over and I hopefully never have to do this again. _Although knowing Merlin, he'd find some reason to make Arthur ride the dragon again…

As soon as they got close enough to the ground, however, Arthur's mind was far from their harrowing flight as he caught sight of his two knights. Percival had squatted down in front of Gwaine, holding the other knight's head in his hands… and weeping. Percival was crying. Neither Merlin nor Arthur could remember seeing Percival cry before. And in that moment, they knew they were too late. They knew that Gwaine was gone.

Merlin jumped off the dragon, with Arthur sliding off a lot more gingerly, and moved slowly towards the two knights. He knew what his eyes were seeing, but he didn't want to see it. "Percival?" he said cautiously.

Percival looked up slowly, as if he'd only just become aware that he was no longer alone with Gwaine. "He's dead," Percival whispered. "Gwaine's dead. Morgana killed him."

"No…" Merlin whispered. "No, he can't be…" The joy that had filled Merlin when he'd saved Arthur was instantly snuffed out, and he felt almost guilty for being happy before. He'd saved his king, but he'd lost a great friend. A man who at one stage of his life had counted Merlin as his only friend. Gwaine did not deserve to die. It just wasn't fair.

Merlin moved his fallen friend, crouching down beside Percival and putting a hand on Gwaine's shoulder. "Gwaine…" he whispered, his voice thick with tears that he was fighting hard to stop from falling. "My friend, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you too."

"You can't save everyone, Merlin," Arthur said gently from behind him, but the sadness in his voice was obvious. Gwaine may have annoyed him sometimes, but he was still a great friend. He still made Arthur laugh, and he still lightened the mood on even the most perilous of missions. Arthur would miss him terribly. "Even you aren't powerful enough for that."

Merlin was surprised about Arthur's throwaway comment about his magic, but he said nothing. Percival, who of course didn't know about Merlin, didn't react to Arthur's comment, but instead turned around to look at Arthur. "My lord," he said. "You're… you're healed?"

Arthur nodded. "I am. I will live," he said, trying to keep his voice emotionless.

Percival smiled, and it was only then that Merlin and Arthur noticed the tears that stained his cheeks. "Good," he said, before turning back to look at Gwaine. "You here that, Gwaine? You didn't fail. Arthur got to Avalon in time. Morgana didn't catch them."

"She's also dead," said Merlin, and Percival turned quickly to look at him.

"She deserves it for what she did to Gwaine," said Percival, anger evident in his voice. "For what she did to all of Camelot." As if realising something, Percival's expression became one of confusion. "But how did you kill her? No normal sword can kill her."

"Arthur's sword was forged in a dragon's breath," Morgan replied. "Even Morgana can't survive that. And I drove it straight through her heart."

"You killed her?" said Percival, confused.

"Arthur still wasn't strong enough. It was kill her or be killed," said Merlin. _Not to mention I was destined to kill her_, he added to himself, but he wasn't going to tell Percival that. Not yet, at least. Merlin had to have a very, very long conversation with Arthur before he told anybody else.

"Why on earth did you ride out after Morgana, though?" Arthur asked. "Surely it wasn't something you had to do."

"Gwen executed Eira," Percival replied. Merlin, who had suspected this would happen, wasn't surprised, but Arthur was. His eyes grew wide, and he looked down at Gwaine's body in shock.

"Eira was executed?" he repeated. "Why?"

"She was a traitor," said Percival. "She was passing Morgana information. "So Gwaine gave her false information about where the two of you were going, and he caught her just after she sent the information to Morgana. And because Gwaine knew where Morgana was going, we rode out after her. Morgana captured us, though, and she tortured Gwaine for information about where you really were. He… he held on for several minutes afterwards. Long enough that he told me that he failed."

"He didn't," Arthur said, his voice solemn. "Gwaine held on long enough that Morgana didn't get to Avalon before I was healed."

Merlin had remained silent and unmoving while Percival was speaking. He was piecing together events in his head; how long it would've taken Morgana to get from Gwaine to Avalon, how long it had been since Gwaine had given in to the torture and then died, how long it had been since Arthur had been healed…

"Percival," Merlin said suddenly. "Percival, how long ago did Gwaine die?"

"Why does it matter?" Percival asked.

"It's important, Percival. Please," said Merlin.

Looking up at Merlin, Percival finally said, "A couple of hours ago. Why?"

The pieces finally clicked together in Merlin's mind. _Of course_… It made perfect sense now. Why the Sidhe had asked for Merlin's help in saving Arthur's life. _They had felt Gwaine dying_. They had felt pass through to Avalon.

"The power over life and death," Merlin breathed, loud enough that Arthur and Percival heard him.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked. "What do you mean by 'the power over life and death'?"

Merlin jumped, still lost in his thoughts until Arthur had spoken. He hadn't realised that he had said that out loud. "When I- when the Sidhe healed you, Arthur. It was when Gwaine was dying." When the two men still looked confused, Merlin said, "It's a rule of the Old Religion. To save a life, one must be given in its place. The Sidhe would've had other ways of saving you, I'm sure. But this way was easier; it required far less magic on their part. Since Gwaine was already going to die, no matter what…"

"They harnessed his life so that I may live," Arthur finished, stunned. Looking at Merlin, though, he could tell that there was more to the story.

_I'll tell you later,_ Merlin told him in mind-speak. _This is something I would rather that no one else knew but you_. Arthur nodded- if this was some great power of Merlin's, he would rather that it was only him that Merlin told.

_Although Gaius probably knows already_, Arthur thought wryly.

While Merlin was silently speaking to Arthur, Percival had taken Gwaine's face in his hands again. "See, Gwaine? Not only did you not fail, you help save Arthur's life. You can rest easy, brother."

There was a moment of silence before Arthur said, "We should get going. We need to get back to Camelot before nightfall."

Merlin smiled. "The people will want to know that their king is alive, Arthur," he said. "And your queen is waiting for you, too."

"Guinevere," Arthur breathed. Arthur felt guilty for not thinking about his wife since he'd woken up beside the Lake of Avalon- but then again, a lot had happened in the short time since then. But now that Merlin had mentioned her… Arthur couldn't _wait_ to see her again. He couldn't wait to hold her in his arms and kiss her and tell her that he was sorry for nearly dying on her.

Merlin rose to his feet and Percival did too, but not before untying Gwaine's bonds and lifting the knight's body into his arms.

"I want to take him back to Camelot," Percival said. "There are people who deserve to be able to say goodbye to him."

Arthur nodded; he wasn't going to deny Percival this. And besides, he was right. There were definitely people- Gwen, Gaius and Leon were the ones who immediately sprang to mind- who deserved to farewell Gwaine. Deserved to farewell their friend.

"Very well," said Arthur. "Let's go then. But keep an eye out- there could still be Saxons around." He shot Merlin a look that Percival couldn't see; a look that said, _use your magic, Merlin. Use your magic to protect us from any Saxons that are near. Get us back to Camelot safely_. Merlin locked eyes with Arthur, indicating that he understood.

And with that the three of them set off, to take their friend home one final time and to show Camelot that their beloved king lived on.

* * *

_A/N: So the next chapter should involve Arthur's return to Camelot and reunion with Gwen, Leon and Gaius, and also a conversation about Merlin's magic- although exactly who will be involved in that conversation, I'm not exactly sure._

_Anyways thank you for reading, and reviews/favourites/follows are much appreciated! :)_


	4. Returns and Revelations

_A/N: I am so sorry that this chapter took so long, everyone! I have had so many uni assignments I felt like I was drowning in them- three of them were due yesterday. I've finally gotten them out of the way, and I don't have anymore due for a couple of weeks, so I will try and get the next chapter finished ASAP- hopefully within the week. This chapter is fully diverted from canon, too- I hope you enjoy! :)_

* * *

_Chapter Four: Returns and Revelations_

* * *

Luckily, the three of them weren't that far from Camelot- only a few hours away, in fact. Percival carried Gwaine's body, while Merlin supported Arthur whenever his energy wavered. The king would need a good night's sleep to recover the energy he'd lost. Merlin's feet were starting to drag, and he was beginning to realise that _he_ would need a lot of rest as well; the magic he'd performed took a lot out of him.

It was with immense relief, then, that the castle finally came into view. The trio paused for a moment, still far enough away from the castle that no one would be able to see them. They all needed a moment before they entered Camelot, and greeted the crowd they knew would be waiting for news of their king.

"You ready?" Merlin asked Arthur.

Arthur took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be," he said. "All of Camelot's going to be out in the streets, praying for my safe return."

"Good to see you're being your usual, arrogant self," Merlin scoffed. "But you're probably right. Not to mention Gwen will be waiting."

Noticing Percival's silence, Merlin put a hand on the much bigger man's shoulder. "You alright?" Merlin asked.

Percival nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I just wish that Gwaine knew he hadn't failed; that Arthur is still alive."

"I'm sure he does," said Merlin. "Or at least he will, when Arthur doesn't join him in Avalon."

"I hope that's true," Percival sighed. "I just wish he hadn't had to die."

"So do I," Merlin admitted. "I'm going to miss him. But Gwaine wouldn't want us to cry over him forever. He'd want us to move on with our lives, and be happy. As well as drink copious amounts of mead."

Percival gave a small chuckle. "He would," he said. "But it's going to take time for me to get to that point. Although the drinking lots of mead part…"

Merlin laughed. "We should go," he said. "I don't know how long I'm going to last on my feet."

Merlin led the two men onwards towards Camelot. As they got closer, a feeling of anxiety welled within Merlin, and his heart began thumping loudly in his chest. He knew everything was going to change for him very soon. All the people of Camelot would be wanting to know the identity of the sorcerer who had saved them all, and it wouldn't be long until Arthur had to tell them it was Merlin. He would no longer just be Arthur's manservant. Everyone would _know_ that Merlin was the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth. Merlin didn't know if he was ready for that. He didn't know if he ever would be.

Arthur put a hand on Merlin's shoulder, both to steady himself and to comfort his friend. Arthur could not imagine what Merlin would be feeling right now. Merlin's entire world was about to turn on its head. Arthur had no idea how to help Merlin through what was to come; the best he could do was talk to him, let him know that he had Arthur's friendship and support, no matter what. Arthur knew that having the support of those closest to him- including Merlin- had been one of the only things that had gotten him through the most difficult of times. Now it was his turn to repay the favour.

Arthur knew that there would be a number of arguments and an incredible amount of anger to come between him and Merlin. How could there not, when Merlin had been keeping an incredible secret from him for a decade? But Arthur knew, that after all the talking and fighting and anger, he would still have his greatest friend. And he always would.

"Let's go," Arthur said. As he led Merlin and Percival towards the city, he could hear a rumbling noise that grew louder and louder the closer they got. Arthur placed a hand on the pommel of his sword, ready to draw it, before he realised that the noise was just a great number of people talking. Arthur's people, lining the streets, praying for the safe return of their king. "Let's give them what they want," Arthur muttered to himself, before walking forward through the city gates.

No one saw the three men entering the city at first. Then, quite suddenly, a hush began spreading through the crowd, starting from those near the gates who were, of course, the first to see the men. The trio could feel the many pairs of eyes on them, staring at them, lingering on the lifeless body of Sir Gwaine before coming to rest on their king. As suddenly as the crowd fell quiet, people began shouting, "The king is back! The king is back!" Pretty soon the entire crowd was chanting, filled with relief that their king had returned to them, alive.

Arthur, Merlin and Percival through the crowd of people that had parted to let them by, all of them bowing to their king before continuing to chant. Just as the three of them reached the steps to the castle, the huge double doors burst open and Gwen ran out, followed soon after by Leon and Gaius.

"Arthur!" Gwen cried in delight and relief. The king and queen ran to each other, embracing at the bottom of the stairs. Arthur held Gwen close to him, her head resting against his chest, and one hand stroking her dark hair. He knew he was the king and that everyone was watching him, but he didn't care. He had been dying; he had thought that he would never see the woman he loved again. All he wanted to do was hold her and never let her go.

Eventually, though, Arthur had to pull away. His people were still watching him, cheering for him; he knew he needed to speak to them. As he turned to face the crowd they fell silent, waiting for their beloved king to speak.

"Many lives have been lost these past few days," Arthur began. "Many knights lost their lives at Camlann. Good men have died; husbands, brothers, fathers, sons. Many of us have lost good friends, including myself. Sir Gwaine died trying to stop Morgana from finding me. But these lives were not lost for nothing. These brave, brave men have sacrificed themselves to protect Camelot- to protect us all. And the war has been won." Arthur took a deep breath, as if to steel himself.

"Morgana is dead."

The crowd gasped as one. Camelot's greatest threat, the one who had betrayed the kingdom and had tried to overtake it more times than anyone else ever had, the woman who had been seemingly impossible to kill, was no more. Morgana would never rise against them again. And then the crowd was cheering again, clapping, chanting "Long live the king!"

"Let's go inside," Arthur said to his companions. "We need to lay Gwaine's body somewhere so we can say our goodbyes to him before his funeral. And there are some things we need to discuss." Arthur cast a pointed glance at Merlin, who nodded at him. Merlin, Percival, Leon and Gaius then followed their king and queen into the castle, leaving the crowd outside still chanting for their king and his kingdom.

Not long after the castle doors had been closed behind them, Arthur said, "Gaius, go with Percival and show him somewhere he can put Gwaine's body for now. Leon, you go with them; make sure you run into no one on the way there, or back. Then meet us in my chambers. It's probably the place we're going to have the most privacy."

"Yes, sire," Gaius said, bowing his head. He caught Merlin's eye, mouthing _well done_, before leading Percival and Leon down a corridor. Arthur, Merlin and Gwen headed in a different direction, towards the king's chambers. The trio walked in silence, and luckily, they didn't run into any servants or anybody else on the way there which would surely have led to them being waylaid. The discussion Arthur planned on having was one they needed to have immediately.

When they'd entered Arthur's chambers and Arthur had closed the doors behind him, Gwen did something that surprised both men; she threw her arms around Merlin, hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."

"What for?" Merlin asked, awkwardly hugging Gwen back.

"For saving Arthur's life," she replied. "And for everything else you've ever done for him." She then pulled away from Merlin, looking him in the eye. "I know, Merlin," she said. "I know."

Merlin's eyes grew wide. "You… you do?" he gasped. "Wh… how?"

"I figured it out, after Gaius told me that you were the only one who had a hope of saving Arthur, and he wouldn't let me send anyone after you," Gwen explained. "And after you appeared at Camlann, he acted like he knew you. And you've always been right there, at Arthur's side, no matter what… so I called for Gaius, and I asked him whether he did, in fact, know the sorcerer at the battle. When he said yes, I asked him whether _I _knew the sorcerer."

"And he said yes again," Merlin finished.

Gwen nodded. "I was thinking about it for awhile after Camlann, and then after Gaius told me you were with Arthur. It just… it just makes sense. There was always something different about you, even when we first met."

Merlin laughed. "I suppose it does make sense, doesn't it?" he said. "Don't think I would've ridden out into all those battles with Arthur if I didn't have my magic to defend us."

"I always thought you did it because of your loyalty," said Arthur, feeling slightly affronted.

"Well, yeah, after a while there was that too," Merlin agreed. "After you became less of a selfish prat."

"Hey!" Arthur exclaimed. "And I could've survived those battles without you."

Merlin laughed. "Not all of them, actually. Didn't you ever notice all of those lucky accidents that seemed to happen around us?"

Arthur stared at Merlin. "That was all _you_?"

"Well, of course," said Merlin, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I thought you would've figured that out by _now_, at least. Clearly you aren't that bright, sire."

As both Merlin and Gwen laughed at Arthur, there came a knock at the door to his chambers. Both of them instantly fell silent. "Sire, it's Leon, with Gaius and Percival!" Leon called out. "We're alone!"

Arthur nodded at Merlin. "Let them in," he said.

Merlin moved over to the door, letting the three men inside the room. When Gaius walked past Merlin, he caught the younger man's eyes and smiled, full of pride for what Merlin had achieved.

"Take a seat, please," said Arthur, gesturing around the room. Everyone sat but himself and Merlin. "Merlin? Did you hear me? Please, sit. You probably need it; you look more exhausted than I am."

"I'll stand for now," said Merlin. "I'll sit down after." He shot Arthur a look, and his king instantly understood: Merlin wanted to be standing when he told Leon and Percival his secret, and when he told them and Gwen exactly what he had done. He felt less… trapped, if he was standing up. He felt like he could run or disappear if the secret telling got too much.

When everyone was settled, Leon was the first to speak. "It's good to see you alive, sire," he said. "We were afraid that you wouldn't make it to this healing place in time, or that Morgana would catch up to you before you got there."

"Thanks to Merlin, neither of those things happened," said Arthur, nodding towards his manservant. Merlin refused to look anyone in the eye. He had glanced over at Gaius once, but his guardian's expression had been unreadable. He definitely couldn't look Leon and Percival in the eye, knowing what he was about to tell them, and looking at Arthur or Gwen just made him feel worse. So instead he just looked at his boots, which of course drew the attention of the two oblivious knights.

"Is something wrong, Merlin?" Percival asked. "You've been acted strange since you found me in the woods."

Merlin took a deep breath. This was it. It was now or never. "Yeah, I'm okay," he said, even though he knew it was a lie. Merlin had never imagined that telling people his secret would be so hard. He had found it easy to tell his secret to people he barely knew. But to tell Percival and Leon, two men who were his friends and two men who thought they knew him well, was proving to be so much harder. Probably because Merlin had known them for so long, and they had spent all that time living with a lie.

_Not as hard as telling Arthur that I'd been lying to him all this time_, Merlin thought to himself. _But then again, not many things in my life have been that hard_. He could only count himself lucky that Gwen had figure it out before he had to tell her. "I just… I need to tell you two something. Something that Arthur, and also Gwen, only found out recently." Leon and Percival were looking at him curiously, and Merlin forced himself to look them in the eye. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. "The sorcerer, at Camlann. The one who defeated Morgana's army and sent the dragon away.

"It was me."

Stunned silence filled the room. Gaius, who had known Merlin's secret since day once, studied his companions closely, waiting to diffuse any argument that arose. Gwen had a smile on her face, thinking about how brave Merlin had to be to live in Camelot knowing he could be caught and executed at any moment, yet only ever using his powers to protect the kingdom. Arthur's expression was impassive, but inside he could still barely believe that his manservant, his _Merlin_, was an all-powerful sorcerer, and that while he had lied to Arthur, had only ever used this power for Arthur himself.

Percival, meanwhile, looked a little surprised at Merlin's great revelation, but he didn't look hurt or angry or scared. Merlin remembered that Percival had grown up away from Camelot, in a village that did not fear magic at all. Merlin wouldn't have been surprised if Percival had grown up _with_ magic users. When he noticed Merlin looking at him Percival nodded, and Merlin wondered if Percival was putting the pieces together in the same way that Gwen had done- or even if he'd already figured it out.

Leon, however, was a lot harder to read. His expression looked very conflicted, like he didn't know how to feel about who Merlin really was. Leon had grown up in Camelot and gone on to become a knight under Uther, the man who had hated magic more than anything else. On the other hand, Merlin knew that Leon was Arthur's man through and through. Indeed, the senior knight was looking at his king, who smiled and nodded. Then Leon had turned to Merlin, his face now far more relaxed. He inclined his head towards Merlin, who gave him a small smile in return.

Eventually, it was Arthur who broke the silence. "For the record, I have had time to think about the fact that Merlin has magic," he said. "And while I am amazed that an idiot like him has managed to keep a secret from _me_ all this time- although I imagine that has something to do with the fact that he had Gaius's help- I know that Merlin had never used his magic for evil, and he never will. He has only ever used his magic for me and for Camelot. I accept his magic. And I thank him for everything he has done."

Merlin looked up at his king. Arthur had this casual air about him as he spoke, like they were just discussing something as simple as the weather, but Merlin knew that what Arthur was saying was anything but simple. Accepting magic at all was very hard for Arthur- he had lost both his parents because of it, and it had nearly taken away his kingdom and everything he loved. But accepting that _Merlin_, his best friend and a man he had trusted implicitly, as well as the fact that magic could be a force of incredible good, was monumental for the king. He knew Merlin had magic- and he still considered him his greatest friend. The corners of Merlin's eyes pricked with tears at the thought.

"I won't be able to keep Merlin's identity a secret," Arthur continued. "People are going to want to know who the sorcerer was who saved us all. They're going to want to know who killed Morgana." Leon looked stunned at this, but he said nothing. Arthur kept speaking. "The coming days are not going to be easy, and I need everybody's help on his." They could all hear the hidden meaning behind his words: they all needed to work together to keep Merlin safe, when his secret came out. "And when the people of Camelot are told about Merlin, I plan to repeal the ban on magic."

Merlin's mouth fell open as he stared at Arthur. "You _do_?" he gasped.

"Of course I do," said Arthur, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I can hardly know who you really are and not make magic legal, now can I? I'd be breaking my own laws."

"They were your father's laws, not yours," Merlin whispered, not trusting himself to say anything else. He thought he would starting crying tears of joy if he tried to speak again, and that wasn't something he really wanted to do in front of people.

Arthur clapped a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "This will be a long and difficult process. But it is something we need to do. Magic saved all our lives. If it wasn't for magic, I would have died long ago. And Merlin deserves to know that he and his kind will never have to die because of who they are."

Merlin was silent; he still didn't trust himself to speak aloud. Instead, he used mind speak to say to Arthur, _Thank you, Arthur. Thank you_. He was barely managing to control his outward expression, but on the inside, his heart was singing. Merlin would finally, _finally_, be free.

* * *

_A/N: So now Percival and Gwaine know about Merlin- and Arthur is going to legalise magic! For the record, Merlin and Arthur's discussion isn't over- it will continue right from the start of the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading, and any reviews/favourites/follows are welcomed with open arms! :)_

_Also, feel free to follow me on Tumblr, beneath-the-halo. I reblog a hell of a lot of Merlin gifs/pictures, post the links to my stories, and my ask box is open for fic requests that I promise I will do! :)_


	5. A Conversation Long Overdue

_A/N: I'm so sorry that this chapter took longer than I promised! I got halfway through it, but then I got distracted by this Merlin/Arthur fic I'm writing- my muse was being stubborn and wouldn't let me leave that fic alone! Plus Merlin and Arthur are finally having a conversation about Merlin's magic- at least the first part of the conversation, anyway- and I really wanted to get this right!  
I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter Five: A Conversation Long Overdue_

* * *

Everyone stayed in Arthur's rooms a while longer; with Leon discussing the state of the army and the war, and Gaius bringing them all up to speed on the health and numbers of the wounded with Gwen's assistance. A great number of knights had lost their lives on the battlefield, and still more would soon succumb to their wounds, but a great number of them had survived the war. Groups of men had been also been going out after the remaining Saxons, and all of them would no doubt be buoyed by the news of Morgana's death. Most of the enemy's army would either be dead or chased out of Camelot with the following days.

While everybody else had been talking, Merlin had remained completely silent. He could feel fatigue really starting to set in, and he welcomed the opportunity to rest. He also didn't know what _to_ say. On top of everything else that had happened, Merlin had just revealed his secret to Percival and Leon. While he _thought_ that the pair had accepted that Merlin had magic- especially since he'd used it to save Camelot and Arthur- but he couldn't be sure. So he remained silent, in case he said something that the pair did not like, or he accidentally revealed too much. He would have to talk to them alone later, he knew. He could only hope they understood and accepted him.

Gaius glanced at Merlin throughout the discussion. The first few times went unnoticed, but eventually Merlin looked over at Gaius at the same time Gaius looked at him. The physician looked concerned about his young charge, but Merlin gave him a small smile. _I'm just tired_, he mouthed, to which Gaius nodded. Whether he believed Merlin or not was another question.

Eventually, though, Leon (as Arthur's second-in-command) had to leave to check on the state of the army and the last few skirmishes between them and the Saxons. Arthur sent Percival with him; the man looked far too withdrawn, and he needed something to take his mind off being there when Gwaine had died. Gaius, too, excused himself- he was due to go check on the wounded again. He suggested that Gwen go with him, and she was about to refuse, when Arthur held up a hand.

"Guinevere," he said. "Go with Gaius. He will need your assistance."

"But Arthur-" Gwen began to protest, but again she was interrupted by her husband.

"I'll still be here when you're finished, I promise," Arthur assured her with a small smile. "I'm not going anywhere. Merlin and I… there are still things we need to discuss."

Finally Gwen nodded, a small smile on her own face, too. There would of course be things that Merlin didn't want to share with anyone other than Arthur, and things that he would want to tell Arthur before he told anyone else. Merlin and Arthur were best friends, after all- Gwen had always known that, even when she had been nothing to Arthur but Morgana's maidservant. There were bound to be things they shared with each other that they would never share with anyone else, as much as other people would want them to. And Merlin and Arthur had a bond that Gwen would never understand- it was like they _needed_ each other to survive. Gwen had no idea what Merlin would've done if he hadn't been able to save Arthur. He probably wouldn't have remained in Camelot, no matter how much others would've wanted him to.

"I'll see you later then," said Gwen, following Gaius out of the room. At last, Merlin and Arthur were alone.

"Can you _please_ sit down now?" Arthur insisted. "You look like you're about to faint."

Merlin sent Arthur a look but still did as he instructed, sinking gratefully into the chair by Arthur's desk. "I guess using all that magic took a lot more out of me than I thought."

"Does this usually happen?" Arthur asked, feeling genuinely curious. "Having no energy left after using magic, I mean."

Merlin studied Arthur for a moment before replying. "Not usually," he said. "Most of the time I can't feel any effects at all, especially after I went and got my powers back after Morgana stole them from me. I think that awakened my true potential. But the magic I used at Camlann, not to mention the magic I used to save your life… well, that was some pretty powerful stuff. I'm not surprised it took a lot out of me."

"Are you _bragging_, Merlin?" said Arthur quietly.

"No!" Merlin protested, but then he saw Arthur smiling. "Well, maybe a little bit. But you asked!"

"Hm, I did." Arthur crossed the room, taking a seat in one of the recently vacated chairs. Like Merlin, he felt practically devoid of energy. Coming back from the brink of death would do that to you.

"You know there's a reason that it's just you and I left here, right?" Arthur said after a while.

Merlin nodded. "I know," he said. "There's more we have to talk about. So, so much more." Merlin's heart was pounding at the thought. He'd wanted _so much_ to be able to tell Arthur everything, and now the moment was about to happen he was surprisingly nervous. "Is there anything specific you want to know?"

"Care to explain to me the 'born to serve me' part?" said Arthur. Merlin's choice of words had intrigued Arthur the first time, and when he had said it _again_, it had become stuck in Arthur's head. It seemed to convey some hidden meaning, something that Merlin knew that Arthur was as yet unaware of.

Merlin sighed. "I guess that's something you deserve to know. It's as much about me as it is about you," he said. "There… there was a prophecy. A druid's prophecy. My life- and yours- have been predicted since the dawn of time."

"_What_?" Arthur gasped. Whatever he had expected Merlin to say, it hadn't been _that_. "I… _what_?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much how I reacted, too, when I first found out," Merlin admitted. "Except I found out not long after I first arrived in Camelot, and I was very much against the idea because you were so much of an arrogant prat."

Arthur chuckled. "God, we hated each other then, didn't we?" he said. "I'm sorry now that I tried to take your head off with a mace, but I still can't believe that you stopped me with magic."

"It was either that or be severely injured," Merlin pointed out. "And I didn't get caught."

"Lucky for you," Arthur muttered, clearly thinking about trying to attack Merlin with the mace again. "So, about that prophecy…"

"Right," said Merlin. "According to the prophecy, you, Arthur, are the Once and Future King who will unite the lands of Albion and bring peace and magic back to this land. And I'm meant to help you."

"Is that why Morgana called you 'Emrys'?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah," said Merlin. "She'd been told that I was both her destiny and her doom- because I would be the one to kill her." Merlin chuckled. "She spent years looking for Emrys and trying to kill him, without realising that it was me all along. Of course, I disguised myself as an old man so I could use magic without you guys knowing it was me, so… The druids call me that, too."

"Do they all know who you are?"

Merlin nodded. "They all know the name Emrys. Not all of them know my true identity, although I'm sure they'll find out soon enough."

"They don't have to find out if you don't want them to," said Arthur quietly. Merlin looked at him, confused. "If… if you don't want people to know about you, that you're a sorcerer, we don't have to tell them."

"No, I want people to know," said Merlin. "I'm so, so tired of lying. Of keeping myself hidden. And I keep telling you, I'm a warlock, not a sorcerer. There's a difference, you know."

"You do keep mentioning that," said Arthur, looking expectantly at Merlin. "Yet I don't remember ever hearing that term before."

"That's because I don't know if there are any others besides me," Merlin admitted. "There may be out there, but I've never found one. A sorcerer is someone who _chooses_ to learn magic- they have to be taught it. Me, on the other hand… I was born with it."

Arthur's eyes grew wide. "You… you were _born_ with it?" he gasped. Merlin nodded. "I didn't know that was possible. I thought you _had_ to be taught it." Arthur looked down at his feet, suddenly feeling very guilty. "All this time, we could've been executing people who had no _choice_ in having magic."

"Arthur, that is not your fault," Merlin insisted, laying a hand on his king's arm. "I don't blame you. And I think most people do choose to practice magic, whether for good or for evil. I guess this is just one of the other ways in which I'm special. My mother told me I could make things fly around the room before I could talk."

Arthur couldn't help but smile, imagining a very young Merlin in that house in Ealdor, causing objects to fly across the room and laughing while his mother chased them. "What do you think your mother will say, when you tell her of what you have done? _Will_ you tell her?"

Merlin nodded. "She's my mother," he said simply. "Even if I don't tell her, she'll probably figure out the gist of it herself. I've been meaning to visit her lately, anyway. I miss her. Maybe seeing her will make me feel a little more… normal."

"I'll bet," said Arthur. "How long has it been since you've seen her?"

"Too long," Merlin sighed. "We write to each other all the time- I have a stack of letters from her in my room- but it's been so long since I've seen her face."

"Unfortunately I don't think you'll have much free time in the near future, Merlin," Arthur admitted. "But when you do… I'd like to accompany you to Ealdor. If you'll have me."

Merlin looked surprised, but he smiled. "I'd like that."

Arthur smiled back at him, before the mood turned serious again. "Merlin, there's something else I don't understand," Arthur said.

"Isn't there always?" Merlin joked.

Arthur let out an exasperated sigh. "You think you're so funny, Merlin," he muttered, before continuing. "How are you a Dragonlord? I thought all the Dragonlords were dead."

Merlin, being the infuriating man that he was, answered Arthur's question with a question. "Did you know that the powers of a Dragonlord are passed down from father to son?" he said matter-of-factly. Arthur just looked at him, his expression clearly saying that he did not know this. "But only upon the father's death does this happen."

"What does that have to do with…?" Arthur began, but he trailed off as it dawned on him. "_Oh_," was all he managed to say. "Right before we faced off against the dragon, the Dragonlord…"

"Balinor," Merlin supplied, nodding.

"Right, Balinor," said Arthur. "He… he died, and you were crying…" Arthur studied his manservant's face, and was surprised to see the tears building there. "He was your father, wasn't he? And I told you that no man was worth your tears."

"You didn't know, Arthur," said Merlin, fighting to choke back sobs. "How could you? _I _didn't even know who my father was until Gaius told me, right before we went to look for him. And Uther had already had the rest of the Dragonlords slaughtered; if I had told you, and he found out, he would've killed me as surely as if he'd found out about my magic. Not that I blame you for that," he added quickly.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did," said Arthur drily. "Dragonlords weren't even sorcerers!" Arthur looked at Merlin. "Where they?"

Merlin shook his head. "Not all of them," he replied. "Being a Dragonlord didn't automatically mean someone had magic, especially since you didn't even get the abilities of a Dragonlord until your father died. My father had magic, though."

"Is that how he healed me?"

Merlin nodded. "I had never been very good at healing magic," he admitted. "I have- well, I've tried to use it on you before, but it never worked."

"All this time…" Arthur sighed. "All this time, my father had been executed people _just because_ they had magic, and he assumed that that meant they were evil. But that was never the case, was it? I mean, look at you, Merlin. You're all skin and bones and ridiculous ears. I don't think you could have an evil bone in your body."

"Gee, thanks," Merlin said sarcastically, but then he smiled. "You're right, though. Evil isn't in magic; magic doesn't _make_ someone evil. Evil is in the hearts and minds of men, in regular people just as much as sorcerers."

"I see that now," said Arthur. "You're not evil. Gaius isn't evil. Morgana wasn't always evil- it was my father's persecution of magic users that drove her to be that way."

Merlin sighed, resting his head in his hands as he did so. "She thought she was so alone, when she first found out," he said, almost as if he was talking to himself instead of Arthur. "When she first realised she had magic. All she needed was somebody to show her that she wasn't alone… I often thought that, maybe if I just told Morgana that I had magic too, she wouldn't have changed sides. Maybe she would've turned to me and not Morgause. But Gaius and the dragon kept telling me not to, and… I don't know. I was just too scared to tell her."

"Merlin, you can't beat yourself up over that," said Arthur seriously. "You can't know what would've happened if Morgana had known about you. Morgause was her _sister_, after all. She may have ended up telling Morgause or even my father about you! We can't change the past. We just have to try and live with the decisions we've made. And to be honest, if I was you I would've told Morgana anyway. The less people who knew about you then, the better."

"Does that include you?" Merlin asked quietly.

Arthur considered making a joke in response, but decided that was a bad idea. This was a topic that it wasn't a good idea for either of them to joke about at present. "I think so," he said slowly. "In the first few years that I knew you… if I found out about you, I may have felt duty-bounded to tell my father. And later, I would've been very… conflicted. I would've been torn between my duty to my kingdom, and you. I don't know what I would've done. I'm still angry that you've been lying to me for _ten years_, but I understand why you didn't tell me."

"That's the best I could hope for," said Merlin with a smile. "Now I think… I think I need to go to bed." Merlin rose from the chair, swaying a little once he was standing."

"Merlin, are you okay?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, I think I just stood up too fast," said Merlin, a hand on his forehead. "I just need…" Before Merlin could finish talking, though, his eyes rolled back into his head and he began to fall backwards, Arthur managing to catch him just before he hit the floor.

"Merlin! Merlin!" Arthur cried, but he got no response. The warlock was unconscious, his eyes closed and his body unmoving. He was breathing normally though, which relieved Arthur somewhat. Arthur shook Merlin gently, but still the man didn't stir.

Still holding onto Merlin so his head wouldn't touch the floor, Arthur weighed up his options. He really didn't want to carry an unconscious Merlin through the castle to Gaius- that risked attracting too much attention. He also wanted Merlin to be close by, just in case. On the other hand, Arthur couldn't exactly put Merlin in his own bed (Arthur desperately needed his sleep, too), and Gaius would need a place to treat him if necessary. An idea came to Arthur as he remembered the unoccupied chambers next to his own, where his personal manservant would normally reside.

Lifting Merlin into his arms, Arthur checked that the cost was clear before carrying Merlin into the other room, laying him down on the bed. He then stepped outside the door, calling out for a servant. A young serving boy appeared almost instantly, looking rather frightened as he bowed to the king.

"I need you to go and get the Court Physician for me and bring him here," Arthur told the boy. "Do not stop under any circumstances, and do not tell anyone else what you are doing, unless that somebody else is the Court Physician himself, or the queen. Understand?" The boy nodded once, before scampering off as fast as he could go.

Arthur returned to the room, looking at Merlin's still-unconscious form. "Please be okay," Arthur whispered. "Please."

* * *

_A/N: Noooo, Merlin :( This was actually originally going to be the ending of chapter 4, but of course these things never go to plan, do they? I hope you enjoyed reading, and reviews are always welcomed!_

_Also random fact: my 20th birthday is in exactly 3 weeks! Yay! :D_


	6. Awakening

_A/N: Gahhhh, I hate exams, and that time of year when all my assignments are due at once... but I finally got this chapter done! Also I'm 20 now, yay!  
I feel kinda iffy about this chapter, I don't know... but when I feel iffy about something it generally turns out to actually be good, so hopefully that's the case here. Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter Six: Awakening_

* * *

It seemed to Arthur that an eternity had passed before he could hear footsteps coming down the corridor, but in reality it could only have been minutes. Gaius came into the room without knocking, Gwen right on his heels. Gaius glanced over at the king for a moment before hurrying to Merlin's side, his face the picture of concentration. Gwen, however, did not look so calm, and moved to stand beside her husband with a very worried look on her face.

"What happened?" she asked him.

"I… I don't know," Arthur admitted. "He swayed a little when he stood up, and he was starting to say he was fine, but then he just passed out. I tried to wake him up, but I couldn't." Arthur tried to stay calm like Gaius was, but he couldn't help the concern and slight panic that creeped into his voice. Merlin had seemed so strong and near infallible on their journey to Avalon and then back to Camelot, and now he was unconscious and unable to be woken. In saving Arthur's life, had Merlin put his own in danger?

"Is he alright, Gaius?" Arthur asked, unable to take it anymore. "Is he going to be okay?"

Gaius didn't answer for a while, still hovering other Merlin. Arthur was about to speak again, to _demand_ that Gaius tell him exactly what was wrong with Merlin, when Gaius finally spoke. "He will be fine, my lord," he said.

"Are you _sure_, Gaius?" Arthur said forcefully. "Are you absolutely sure?"

Gaius gave Arthur a small smile, chuckling. "I _am_ the Court Physician, sire," he said. "And I am absolutely sure that Merlin will make a full recovery. He is merely exhausted. Completely and utterly exhausted. The amount of magic he has cast in the past few days, not to mention the power of his spells, has drained his energy. He just needs sleep. The spell he used to save your life and heal your wound was incredibly powerful, Arthur, even for someone as exceptionally powerful as Merlin. Not to mention the ageing spelling he used at Camlann. Just give him time, and he'll be back on his feet before you know it."

Arthur let out a sigh of relief, before something Gaius said really hit him and he froze. Now that he had been assured that Merlin was fine, Arthur's thoughts had turned to other matters. "The… the _magic_ Merlin used to save my life was really _that strong_?" he said.

Gaius nodded. "I wasn't exaggerating when I said that some say Merlin is the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth."

"And does 'some' include you, Gaius?" Arthur asked.

Gaius nodded again. "I have seen what he can do, Arthur. He can do things with magic that other people could only _dream_ of. A lot of the time he doesn't even need spells- just his instincts. And very few people could perform magic of the magnitude Merlin used at Camlann and to save your life."

"He could've _died_, though, does he realise that?" said Arthur. "He could've used more magic than even he was capable of, or Morgana could've killed him. Did Merlin even worry about that?"

"Of course he did," said Gaius. "He worries about that every day. But, like someone else I know, Merlin decided that some things were more important than his own life. Like Camelot. Peace and prosperity and a united Albion. You."

"My life is no more important than Merlin's," Arthur protested. "I never wanted him to think that."

"That does not change the fact that Merlin would do anything for you, sire," said Gaius. He would follow you to the end of the world and back. And yes, he would risk his own life if it meant saving yours. That's mostly because he _needs _you. He needs you just as much as you need him."

"Don't bother denying it, either, Arthur," Gwen chimed in. "I've seen how much the two of you need each other, even if you fight and insult each other half the time."

"I still can't believe he did all of this for me…" Arthur whispered to himself, so quietly that Gaius and Gwen wondered whether Arthur even realised he'd spoken aloud. Indeed, Arthur did nothing but stare down at Merlin, his forehead creased with lines of worry.

"You need to get some sleep too, Arthur," Gaius said finally.

"Not until Merlin's awake, and I can be _sure_ he's fine," said Arthur stubbornly, not tearing his eyes away from the unconscious form of his manservant and friend.

"It could be _days_ before he wakes up," Gaius informed him. "Merlin is completely devoid of energy; his body will need time to rest and recuperate. He will be fine, but you won't be if you don't get some sleep. Do you really want to undo all of his hard work?"

Arthur shook his head. "I guess you're right," he sighed. Gwen had to suppress a giggle; Arthur may have been king, but Gaius still had the ability to scare him or make him listen. "I want him left here, though, so I will know where he is and I will know immediately if anything happens to him."

Gaius nodded. "Of course, sire. Is there anything else you require?"

"No, but Gaius, thank you. Thank you for everything you have done for me, and for helping this idiot keep his secret for all these years. I know that can't have been easy."

Gaius gave the king a small smile. "It's my pleasure," he said, before turning around and leaving the room. This left Arthur and Gwen alone with the sleeping Merlin. Arthur watched him for a long while, focusing on the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest. Even though Gaius had just told him that Merlin was perfectly fine and he just needed a lot of sleep, Arthur didn't quite believe it.

"He _is_ going to be okay, Arthur," Gwen reminded him gently.

"Yeah, I know," Arthur sighed. "I know that, but…"

"You're not going to be able to believe it until you see him up and about again?" Gwen finished for him.

Arthur nodded. "He's done so, so much for me, Gwen. For us, for Camelot. Ever since he arrived in Camelot, and he's never sought credit for any of it. And he deserves it- my god, does he deserve it."

Gwen smiled. "It's _Merlin_, Arthur," she said. "It's who he is. He's always the one on the sidelines, fighting from the shadows so that nobody knows he's there. And besides, if Merlin wanted credit for everything he did, he wouldn't work for you now, would he?"

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle. "I suppose not," he agreed. "He's still going to get it, though." Arthur was fighting to stay awake, now. His eyes were half-closed, and his legs were aching with exhaustion. Gwen smiled at him.

"Looks like you need your rest, too," she said.

"Guinevere…" said Arthur warningly.

"Yeah, I know, you want to stay with Merlin," said Gwen. "But like you told Gaius, you will not be far away. You'll be right next door, should anything happen. And you _do_ need your rest, Arthur. I nearly lost you once today already. I'm not even _risking_ losing you again." Gwen knew she was exaggerating a little, but she also knew that Arthur desperately needed his sleep, to allow his body time to completely heal. Merlin's magic could only do so much.

"I'm sorry," Arthur sighed. "I keep forgetting how hard it must be for you, when I go away to war."

"You have other things on your mind," said Gwen gently, taking Arthur's hand in her own. "And you're here now. Now let's go to bed. Merlin will still be here when you wake, especially if he needs as much rest as Gaius says he does." Gwen stepped back, towards the door. "Come on," she said. "I nearly lost you today. I spent all of the time since Camlann thinking that I could lose you. I need to hold you in my arms again."

"Then let's go to bed." With one last look back at Merlin, Arthur led his wife out of the room.

When Arthur woke the next morning, his first thought was that he felt so much better than he did the day before, almost like Mordred had never run him through with a sword. His second thought was how good it felt to lie in bed holding Gwen in his arms, when he'd thought the time before Camlann would be the last time he _ever_ got to hold her. His third thought was Merlin.

Arthur's eyes immediately snapped open. _Merlin_, the secret sorcerer (no, warlock, as the man kept insisting) who had save his life many times over and had done more for him and his kingdom, and who had passed out the previous day after performing tremendous amounts of magic.

With a glance over at Gwen, who was still sleeping, Arthur pulled back his bed covers and moved immediately towards the door. Gaius may have told Arthur that Merlin was going to be fine, and Arthur did believe him, but… well, he had to _know_.

Arthur slowly pushed open the door to the chambers beside his own, to find it completely deserted besides the man sleeping on the bed. Moving towards Merlin, Arthur found him to still be sleeping, his chest slowly rising and falling. He looked a lot more peaceful than he had the day before, after he'd passed out. He looked like he was just resting now.

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur whispered, as if he hadn't said those words enough already. He probably hadn't, he supposed. He hadn't thanked Merlin _nearly_ enough for saving his life too many times to count, not to mention everything he'd done for Camelot. And he'd probably never be able to thank Merlin enough. He knew the feat would be impossible.

It didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

Arthur stood at the foot of Merlin's bed for a long time, the man still not stirring, before there was a knock at the chamber door. Arthur froze, wondering who would come looking for him here, before the sound of Leon's voice drifted toward him.

"Sire?" he called out. "It's Sir Leon! The Queen told me you would be here!"

Arthur hesitated- he knew it was only Leon, and the man could definitely be trusted, but he didn't know how Merlin would feel about being seen unconscious like this. Remembering the Dorocha, though, and how all the knights had seen Merlin nearly dead upon the floor, Arthur decided that didn't really matter. He went over to the door, opening it to reveal Leon. "Sir Leon," he said. "What brings you here?"

"I've come to update you on the state of the army, and of Morgana's forces," Leon replied. "But if you require, I can come back later."

"No, no, come in," said Arthur, stepping back and allowing Leon entry into the room. "I'm just waiting for Merlin to wake up, anyway. The lazy idiot's taking his time, as usual."

Leon chuckled a little, but as soon as he entered the room and Arthur closed the door behind him, his eyes drifted to where Merlin lay sleeping. "What exactly happened?" he asked.

"I… don't really know," Arthur admitted. "One minute we were talking, and the next minute, he stood up and then passed out. Gaius said that it's because of all the magic he's used in the past few days… it took a lot of energy out of him. He needs time to rest."

Leon nodded. "Obviously you're not going to have him executed," he said.

"Not when he's done more for me and this kingdom than either of us could ever imagine," Arthur replied. "That would be a pretty poor repayment of the last ten years of his life. And even if he hadn't done all of that… there would be no way I'd let Merlin die."

Leon nodded again. "I would've been shocked if you _had_ ordered Merlin's execution," he admitted. "Merlin means a great deal to you, and if he has done as much for you as you say… well, I believe he deserves the greatest of rewards."

"He does," Arthur agreed. "He definitely does." His thoughts drifted for a few minutes, before coming back to reality. "Now, what state are our forces in?"

"A great number of men lost their lives," said Leon. "More still are injured- Gaius is tending to those as we speak. I'd say around half of our number would still be in a condition to fight if necessary."

"And the Saxons?"

"Most of their number are dead," said Leon. "Some of them died in the fighting; many more died when Merlin attacked them, though. The rest retreated, or are being chased away and killed if they resist. Sire, we would not have won this battle and this war if Merlin had not been there. If he hadn't arrived in time… I shudder to think what would've happened."

"It sounds like you've accepted Merlin's magic, then," Arthur commented.

"I was surprised, when he told us," Leon said slowly. "I can scarcely believe that _Merlin_ of all people holds _that much_ power. But when I think about it, it makes sense. I mean, you can attribute him riding out into danger with you without fail to the incredible loyalty he feels towards you. But the fact that he can do so without showing any fear, and come out unharmed most times… well, Merlin is definitely not the best warrior in the world. He had to have something else on his side, other than luck. Not to mention the numerous times you've escaped with your life, or even unscathed, when you really shouldn't have. It makes sense, now. It was Merlin all along."

"Hmm," was all Arthur said in response. "I still can't believe he manage to keep this from me. From _everyone_."

"I can," said Leon, surprising Arthur. "For Merlin, keeping this secret was a matter of life and death. No matter his intentions, if he had been discovered- especially when under your father's rule, he would've been put to death. If you were in that position, what would you have done?"

"I… I would've kept quiet," Arthur admitted. "I would've made sure as few people as possible knew my secret."

"Exactly. Like you, sire, I grew up being taught that all magic was evil. I was always taught that, no matter what, anyone who had magic should be put to death. But Merlin… Merlin is not evil. And he doesn't deserve to die." Leon took a deep breath. "Sire, I follow you. And if you believe that magic should no longer be banned, than I accept that decision. And for the record, sire, I agree with the decision, too."

Arthur clapped a hand on Leon's shoulder. "Thank you, Leon," he said. Before he could say anything else, both men heard a groaning sound and instantly turned towards the bed.

Merlin was waking up.

Arthur moved instantly towards the bed, leaning over Merlin. It seemed it wouldn't be days before Merlin woke up after all. "Merlin?" he said. "Merlin? Can you hear me?"

"Mmm," Merlin groaned, shifting in the bed. "Ar… Arthur?"

"Yes, Merlin," said Arthur. "Now wake up, you lazy idiot!"

As if he was actually listening to Arthur, Merlin's eyelids fluttered open, his eyes immediately seeking out Arthur's face. "Wh… what happened?" he asked, confused.

"What happened? You passed out, that's what happened!" Arthur exclaimed. "I had to send for Gaius! Luckily it was just exhaustion!"

"I passed out? Sorry…" Merlin muttered, looking down at his hands.

"Why are you apologising?" said Arthur. "You _did_ use all that energy trying to save my life, after all."

Leon chuckled, alerting Merlin to his presence and reminding Arthur that his second-in-command was standing behind him. "I think that's my cue to leave," he said. Looking at Arthur, he added, "Sire, when you're ready, I will be waiting with Sir Percival, Gaius and the Queen in the council chambers. We need to discuss arrangements for the funerals of everyone who lost their lives in the battle." Arthur nodded at Leon, who bowed slightly to his king before leaving the chambers.

"Guess the magic I used took more out of me than I thought," said Merlin, looking away from Arthur again. "Sorry," he said. "It's just… talking about my magic in front of you still feels really strange."

"I'll bet," said Arthur. "Talking with you about your magic feels strange to _me_, too."

"It's going to be even stranger when everybody else finds out," said Merlin, pushing himself into a sitting position in the bed. "Not everyone's going to be happy about this. Not everyone's going to be happy you're repealing the ban on magic."

"I know," Arthur sighed. "There are a lot of people who agree with my father's views on magic. On the other hand, there are a lot of people who agree with _your_ views. Including me."

Merlin gave Arthur a small smile. After _so long_ hiding, keeping his secret from the person who mattered the most to him, he could hardly believe that Arthur now knew who he really was. More importantly, he couldn't believe that Arthur accepted him, and was actually going to _lift the ban on magic_. It was more than Merlin had ever hoped for. "Thank you, Arthur," he whispered. "I can't… you have no idea how long I've wanted to tell you. I hated _lying_ to you every day, Arthur, you have to believe that."

"I do," said Arthur. "Merlin, I really do. Do you really think I'd be sitting here at your bedside if I didn't?"

"No, I guess not… Arthur I- there's something I want to ask you. Before you repeal the magic ban, and tell the kingdom about me," said Merlin, looking at Arthur and waiting. Arthur inclined his head, indicating that he was listening. "You know how I said I wanted to go see my mother? I want to go before you tell everyone. She deserves to know what's happened, and what's going to happen. Not to mention what could happen if someone finds out what she is to me."

"They could kidnap her and use her as leverage against you," Arthur realised. "Don't worry, Merlin," he said, clapping a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "We'll go to Ealdor before I announce that I'm lifting the magic ban. Luckily when we defeated Cenred, I made sure to claim Ealdor as part of Camelot's new territory."

"You did?" said Merlin, surprised.

"Of course I did, _Mer_lin," said Arthur, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I hated the fact that my father couldn't send knights to defend Ealdor from those bandits, and I wanted to be in a position to protect it with all of Camelot's might if anything ever happened again."

Merlin just gaped at Arthur; it made sense, Arthur annexing Ealdor to Camelot's lands, but he still couldn't believe he hadn't _known_. "I thought I had the market cornered on secrets," he said finally.

"I would've told you if you asked," said Arthur. "You just never did." Merlin chuckled at that and shook his head; Arthur _did_ have a point. "Now, you think you've got enough energy to get out of bed and to the council chambers? There are people waiting for us, after all."

"Of course, sire," said Merlin with a smirk. "You _may_ have to help me though." As he spoke, Merlin swung his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet. He was a bit shaky at first, and Arthur reached out to steady him. "I'm okay, I'm okay," Merlin assured him.

"Merlin, need I remind you that I'm the king?" said Arthur. "You can't tell me that I need to help you walk."

"And need I remind you that I'm the warlock that saved your life, dollop-head?" said Merlin. "Now shall we go?" With that Merlin turned and left the room, leaving Arthur to follow exasperatedly in his wake.

* * *

_A/N: Let me tell you, it took me forever to figure out exactly how to end this chapter, I think I changed the ending three or four times. But I quite like the way I did eventually decide to end it, and I hope that you did too! As always, reviews/favourites/follows are always welcome! :)_


	7. Much to Discuss

_A/N: I hate exams. That is all.  
Also I went to the Gold Coast for a holiday, and while I had my laptop (meaning I could write) I didn't have an internet connection so I couldn't upload anything. Nevertheless, here the chapter is- finally!  
This chapter is kind of a filler more than anything else, but the next chapter will definitely contain the funerals and most likely Merlin and Arthur's arrival in Ealdor. There is also something else that I want to put in there (which I don't want to spoil), though, which might mean that Ealdor might be pushed into the chapter afterwards. But anyway, on with the story!_

* * *

_Chapter Seven: Much to Discuss_

* * *

Arthur caught up with Merlin near the end of the corridor. "For a guy that passed out yesterday, you sure have a lot of energy," he remarked, sounding almost annoyed.

"I just needed sleep," said Merlin. "Now that I've had it, I don't feel so drained any more. I can feel my magic just under my skin again, just waiting for me to let it out."

Arthur hesitated for a moment at the casual way Merlin had talked about his magic, before speaking. "As long as you don't break anything," he said. "More than you normally do, anyway."

Merlin sighed. "Whatever you say, sire," he said, but then he smiled, bumping in to Arthur. Arthur looked almost angry, before grinning and bumping Merlin back. They continued in this manner through the castle, with Merlin often running ahead of Arthur before Arthur caught up to him, before arriving at the council chambers. The two guards standing outside instantly moved to open the doors, letting Merlin and Arthur into the room.

Leon, Percival, Gaius and Gwen were already gathered in the room, waiting. They looked up when Arthur and Merlin entered, both Gwen and Gaius getting to their feet when they saw Merlin. "Merlin!" Gwen cried. "You're here!"

Merlin smiled at his friend, as she completely ignored propriety and ran over to hug him. "Of course I am, my lady," he said when they broke apart. "Arthur needs all the help he can get to run this kingdom."

"Hey!" Arthur cried, as the others barely managed to stifle a laugh.

"So you're okay?" Gwen continued. "I mean, Leon told us that you were awake, but are you really okay?"

Merlin nodded. "I'm fine. All I needed was sleep, anyway. I'm completely recovered now."

"Come sit down, anyway," said Gwen, leading Merlin over to the table where Percival and Leon were sitting. Gaius pulled Merlin into his embrace when he drew near. "My boy," he whispered. "Well done. We'll talk later."

Merlin nodded, grateful for Gaius's praise. Merlin's guardian and mentor had always been there for him; he'd been the one to keep Merlin grounded and had been there for Merlin to talk to, especially concerning things Merlin had been unable to tell anyone else about. And he'd been the only one to congratulate Merlin on a job well done when he'd saved the day, when no one else had known what he'd done. Merlin would be forever grateful for that.

Merlin dropped into the chair beside Gaius, with the elderly physician and Gwen resuming their seats. Arthur crossed the room as well and sat down beside Merlin, Gwen on his other side. Percival was sitting on Gaius's other side, and Leon was beside Gwen.

Arthur gestured to his second-in-command, who began to speak. "There are a large number of dead, sire," he said. "Some have succumbed to their wounds overnight, and there are still some that Gaius reckons could die in the coming days. We will have to hold the funerals over several days. And as for Gwaine…"

"Gwaine died at the hands of Morgana while trying to stop her from finding Merlin and me," said Arthur. "He saved the life of his king. And he was a part of my trusted council. It may be selfish, but I want to give him the same funeral we were able to give Elyan."

"Gwaine deserves it," Percival spoke up. "He was brave until the very end. I still just wish he knew he hadn't failed. That Arthur lived, and Morgana is dead."

"I just wish I'd had a chance to tell him about me," said Merlin sadly. "To tell him about my magic. He deserved to know."

None of the others knew what to say to that. They had no idea what it had been like for Merlin (with the possible exception of Gaius), having to keep his secret from those who mattered most to him. None of them knew what it could be like to live with that regret.

"On to other matters," said Arthur. "As I have previously mentioned, I will be repealing the magic ban. Dark magic and using magic for evil will, of course, still be banned. I know now, and I'm sure everyone present in this room knows now, that not all magic and magic users are evil." Arthur glanced over at Merlin as he said this, before focusing on the whole group again. "However, I will not be able to do this straight away."

Everyone else, save for Merlin, looked confused at this revelation. "What for?" Leon asked, voicing what everyone was thinking.

Arthur glanced over at Merlin again, who nodded. "I wish to visit my mother, before I'm revealed as a magic user, and before the ban is lifted," Merlin explained. "I need to explain to her what is going on, so she can be prepared. And I'm sure she'll have heard about the battle at Camlann. She needs to know that I'm alive."

"And we need to offer her protection, just in case," said Arthur. "If Camelot's enemies discover who she is, they are likely to use her to get to Merlin."

"And there is _no way_ I'm letting that happen," Merlin added forcefully. Gwen nodded at this; she'd seen how protective Merlin was of his mother before, when they'd gone to protect his village from bandits. Not to mention the fact that she'd seen herself what a wonderful woman Hunith was, providing refuge to a woman who she had only met once before.

"We'll wait a few days, so we can hold the funerals for those that died at Camlann, and make other arrangements," Arthur continued. "After that, Merlin and I will head to Ealdor to see his mother. There are things that I must talk to her about as well."

"Just the two of you?" said Leon, surprised. "Are you sure that you don't want any of the knights to come with you?"

Merlin laughed. "I can take care of myself, Leon," he said. "And I can deal with any enemies we encounter, be they Saxon or otherwise."

Arthur made a noise of agreement in his throat. "I can certainly vouch for that," he said, remembering the two Saxons Merlin had dealt with on their way to the Lake of Avalon, and the other two he had tricked into going in a different direction. Merlin looked over at Arthur, slightly worried, but then Arthur offered him a small smile and he relaxed. It seemed that Arthur truly was okay with who Merlin was.

Leon and Percival just looked at Merlin. "You've been able to do this all along?" said Percival.

"And I _have_ been doing this all along," said Merlin. "Come on guys, do you really think all those 'lucky accidents', where trees happened to fall over, bandits happened to drop their swords, and saddles on our enemies' horses just happened to break, were actually accidents?"

"Of course they weren't," said Leon. "How could anyone be that lucky?"

"They can't," said Arthur wryly, crossing his arms. He had such a petulant expression on his face that Merlin, Gwen, and even Gaius were struggling not to laugh. Merlin couldn't help but wonder whether Arthur had thought he actually _was_ just that lucky. But surely, Merlin reasoned, not even Arthur could be that stupid. Surely.

* * *

Merlin returned to his own room that night for the first time since the Battle of Camlann. It felt strange, somehow, like Merlin had been a completely different person the last time he was here, and had come back reborn or reinvented. Which in a way, he supposed he had- his magic being restored in the Crystal Cave had felt like being reborn to Merlin.

Merlin sat down on his bed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He couldn't remember having a moment by himself in a long time, just to sit and rest and think. So that was what he did. So much had happened over the last several days… Morgana had stolen his magic. Merlin had had that magic restored to him in the Crystal Cave, in the process discovering the true extent of his powers. He defeated most of the Saxon Army using said powers at Camlann, saved Arthur's life, and finally defeated Morgana. That was far too much for most people to handle- hell, it was nearly too much for Merlin to handle. Part of him still couldn't believe that all that stuff had happened. It would take a long time for it to sink in.

After Merlin had been sitting there for a while, the door to his room slowly creaked open and Gaius stuck his head in. "Merlin?" he said. "May I come in?"

Merlin grinned at Gaius. "Of course," he said, patting his bed. "Pull up a chair."

Gaius chuckled, sitting down beside Merlin. "So, my boy. You've sure done a lot since we last spoke."

Merlin grinned. "I sure have." His expression changed then, becoming more serious. "I still can't believe I did it though. I still can't believe Morgana is gone. And I still can't believe I managed to save Arthur."

"If anyone could've pulled it off, it was you, Merlin," said Gaius sincerely. "And after everything you did and went through to get to this point, you _deserved _to succeed."

"And this time I'm actually getting recognition and thanks for it, from _Arthur_," said Merlin, still sounding slightly stunned. "He knows about me. And he doesn't hate me. He's… he's actually changing the magic laws. I still can't believe that he's doing it. I thought he _hated_ magic. I mean, look at what it took from him."

"You do know why he's doing it, don't you?" Gaius asked.

"Because it's the right thing to do," said Merlin. "And because he now knows that not everyone who possesses magic is evil."

"Well, there's that," Gaius conceded. "But it's not the only reason."

"It's not?"

"No. He's doing it for _you_, Merlin. He's repealing the law for _you_. He can't stand to see you unhappy, you know. He knows you feel hidden and trapped because of the magic ban, and he wants you to be free. It's also his way of repaying you for everything he now knows you've done for him."

"Wha… he's doing it for _me_?" said Merlin, stunned. "Really?"

"Of course," said Gaius, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He really does care about you, Merlin. You mean the world to him. I'm certain he would do just as much for you as you have done for him, and would do so in a heartbeat. You are his best friend."

"Even if he has a funny way of showing it," said Merlin, but he was smiling. He had never thought about Arthur repealing the magic ban in that way. He had thought that Arthur was only doing it because it was the right thing to do. He'd never even _considered _that Arthur was doing it for _him_. He'd never thought that Arthur was doing this so Merlin could be free. "I… I don't know what to say to him."

"Maybe you shouldn't say anything," said Gaius. "Unless Arthur brings it up. You know how Arthur is about his emotions."

"Mmm," said Merlin in agreement, nodding. "Never wants to talk about them." Merlin's expression became more serious then, and he looked over at Gaius. "Gaius, I… I wanted to thank you. For everything you've ever done for me, ever since I first arrived at Camelot. I don't know what I would've done without you. And I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"My dear boy, you don't need to repay me. Just by being in my life, you've given me everything I've ever wanted. You are the son I never thought I'd have, Merlin. And everything you've ever done for me, and for Camelot and for Albion are thanks enough."

"Can I at least _say_ thank you?" said Merlin with a smirk.

"Of course you can."

"Well, thank you." Merlin and Gaius just looked at each other for a while, before both of them burst out laughing. Both men laughed and laughed, until their sides ached and tears were running down their cheeks. Finally, after what seemed like ages, both men fell silent.

"Get some sleep, Merlin," said Gaius. "The next few days will be busy, cleaning up after the Battle of Camlann and holding the funerals for all those who fell. And then you and Arthur will be leaving for Ealdor to visit your mother."

"Mmm." Merlin sat in thought for a moment, before looking up at Gaius again. "How do you think she'll react?" Merlin asked. "When I tell her what I've done, and what's happened? When I tell her what's going to happen."

"She will be just as proud of you as I am, if not more," Gaius replied without a moment's hesitation. "And not just because she's your mother, and she loves you. But because she knows just what an incredible person you are, Merlin, and how amazing what you've achieved is. She knows this is what you were born for. Believe me, my boy- she _will_ be proud of you."

Merlin smiled, at the same time being able to feel the tears building in the corners of his eyes. "Thank you, Gaius," he whispered. "Thank you." The elderly physician nodded, before backing away and leaving Merlin alone.

The warlock sighed, leaning back against his bed. He knew his whole life was going to change very, very soon. But first, before all of that, he was going to see his mother, for the first time in a long while. That was something that Merlin desperately, desperately needed.


	8. A Final Goodbye

_A/N: I finally finished the chapter! Yay! I just got so distracted by other fics, and... yeah. I hope you enjoy! :)_

* * *

_Chapter Eight: A Final Goodbye_

* * *

It took a further three days for them to organise all the funerals. All the funerals for the knights who had fallen at Camlann, culminating in the funeral of Sir Gwaine. They farewelled him in the same way they had farewelled Elyan, setting his body adrift in a flaming boat over the lake, the court watching him go. Everyone now knew that Gwaine had lost his life to Morgana, and had prevented her from finding Arthur and being able to kill him- they knew he had died a most noble death.

Throughout the funeral, Merlin had his eyes on Percival. The knight was silent, and he hadn't stopped watching Gwaine the entire time. He knew Percival had been there when Gwaine had died, and he knew how baring witness to a friend's death could affect you. He could only hope that Percival would be okay. He knew that it would take time for him to grieve and to heal. Merlin knew he should've asked Percival whether he was okay, but he had been far too preoccupied, what with his and Arthur's plans for repealing the magic ban, their trip to Ealdor to see Merlin's mother, and Merlin's own grieving over Gwaine. He'd have to make sure someone kept an eye on Percival while he was gone.

Merlin and Arthur had planned on leaving for Ealdor in two days, once they had things fully organised. It would just be the two of them; they didn't need any knights to protect them, and both men thought that they needed to spend time together without any threats hanging over their heads. They could talk properly, and hopefully rediscover the ease and comfort of their relationship. Merlin didn't think they'd entirely lost it, but after the events of the past days he needed to make sure it was still intact.

As Merlin lay in bed the night before he and Arthur were due to leave, he could hear a voice yelling in his head. "_Merlin…_" it said. "_Merlin!_" Merlin recognised the voice instantly. He'd heard this very voice in his head at night when he'd first arrived in Camelot. It was the Great Dragon. It was Kilgharrah.

Merlin knew that Kilgharrah was no fickle being. He knew that the dragon would not call to him unless it was urgent, or unless he wanted something. Merlin knew that he only had one option, then, and that was to go to the dragon and see what he wanted.

Swinging his legs out of bed, Merlin crept out of his room and was relieved to find that Gaius was sound asleep and snoring. Silently praying that Gaius wouldn't wake up before he returned, Merlin left their chambers and headed through the castle. He was careful to avoid the guards, because even though he was sure Arthur would ensure Merlin didn't get into trouble with anyone, he didn't want anyone to ask any questions he couldn't answer yet.

Getting an idea, Merlin muttered a spell under his breath and felt the air shimmer around him. There. Now even if the guards looked at him, none of them would actually be able to see him. Like the healing magic he'd used on Arthur, this was a spell Merlin had never managed to cast previously, but since his experiences in the Crystal Cave he knew that it was now possible.

As soon as he was out of the city and out of the view of the guards, Merlin removed the invisibility spell he'd placed upon himself. He continued walking away from the city, towards a clearing he knew would have enough room for Kilgharrah to land- or, in fact, he may have already landed in.

Sure enough, when Merlin approached the clearing, he found that the latter was true and that Kilgharrah was already there and waiting for him. The Great Dragon looked fatigued, tireder than Merlin had ever seen him. Merlin wondered whether their flight to Avalon had taken more out of the dragon than he'd realised. Indeed, Kilgharrah's wings were drooping, and he struggled to hold his head up off the ground.

"Young warlock," Kilgharrah said when Merlin had grown close enough. "I knew you would come."

"You helped me save Arthur," said Merlin. "Without you, we never would've gotten to Avalon in time. I will always be grateful for that. And I couldn't refuse a request from you." He studied the dragon curiously. "Is there a reason you called me here?"

Kilgharrah inclined his hand. "My time in this world, my time amongst the living, is coming to an end," he said. "I can feel my body weakening and my strength fading. I fear I have very little time left."

"No-" Merlin began to protest, but the dragon cut him off.

"I have lived a great number of years, Merlin," the dragon said, far kinder than Merlin had ever heard him before. "I have lived a long life. And I have lived long enough that I have seen you become the great and powerful warlock I knew you would be. The one that was prophesised since the dawn of time. I can die happily, knowing that fact."

Merlin bowed his head, tears filling his eyes. The possibility of Kilgharrah's death had never crossed his mind; he'd always thought of the dragon as a constant, a creature that would always be there for him no matter what. He'd always relied on Kilgharrah's help and advice. He could even _think_ about a world without the dragon in it. The grief that filled him was something he'd never anticipated.

The dragon seemed to realise this, because the next thing out of his mouth was, "I will never forget you, young warlock. And I am very proud of the man you have become."

"I would not be the man I am today without you," said Merlin, his voice thick with tears. "Thank you, for everything you have done- for me, for Arthur, for Albion. I will miss you, old friend."

"And I you. Merlin, before I am gone, there is something I must ask you to do for me," said Kilgharrah. Merlin looked up again, curious. The only time Kilgharrah had ever asked him to do something for _him_ was when he'd asked Merlin to set him free from his underground prison. "I need you to find Aithusa. She will be filled with grief upon the death of the witch. Her experiences with Morgana stunted her growth and twisted her mind; she works with the witch because she was the only one to show her kindness in the darkest of times. But you are the last Dragonlord, Merlin, and upon my death Aithusa will be the last dragon. It is possible to save her, Merlin, and heal her mind and her heart, but only you can do it. Only you can save Aithusa from the darkness."

"I'll try, Kilgharrah," Merlin promised. "I don't think I can go on living, knowing that Aithusa is as twisted as she is, and not do something to save her. I feel I have failed her. If I had known earlier-"

"There is no way you could've known," Kilgharrah interrupted. "None. And your first duty has always been to Arthur Pendragon. But your soul and Aithusa's are connected. That is why you feel you cannot go on without helping her. Now that you know about it, her being in pain hurts you."

"I'll help her as soon as I get a chance," said Merlin.

"Thank you, Merlin," said the dragon, spreading his wings out. "Now I must leave you."

"Will I ever see you again?" Merlin asked, his voice quiet.

"I fear not, young warlock," said Kilgharrah, his voiced laced with a sadness Merlin had never heard from him. "I can feel my strength leaving me, even now. I feel that I only have days left. But I will never forget you. The story we have been a part of, even the pages that have yet to be written, will live long in the minds of men."

"I will never forget you, either," Merlin promised, his voice heavy with tears. "I just have one final request. Can we fly together, one more time?"

"I already told you, I am not a _horse_, Merlin!" Kilgharrah exclaimed, and Merlin couldn't help but laugh. Kilgharrah may have already said that to Merlin in recent times, but it still made Merlin smile even when he didn't want to.

"I know," said Merlin. "You are so much more powerful and terrifying than a mere horse. And like I already told you, you could eat them for breakfast. Just think of it as our… thank you to each other, I guess."

Kilgharrah sighed, and Merlin thought he saw the great beast smile. "Very well. Climb on, Merlin."

Merlin strode over to the dragon, resting his hand on Kilgharrah's side before hoisting himself up. He couldn't help but feel this great sense of sadness and impending grief as he sat upon the dragon's back, and they flew over Camelot. He felt the same rush and swooping feeling in his stomach as he had when he had first flown with the dragon, but this time it was tempered by his growing sorrow. He knew this would be the last time he flew with Kilgharrah, and if he didn't manage to save Aithusa, it could very well be the last time he ever flew with a dragon.

The flight was over all too quickly for Merlin's liking, and soon they were landing back in the same field they had taken off from. Merlin sat on Kilgharrah's back for a while, motionless, before his legs began to get stiff and sore and he had no choice but to get down. "Kilgharrah…" he began to say, but he had to stop when his voice caught in his throat. He just _couldn't_ say goodbye. It was just too hard. He'd just saved Arthur's life, and now he was about to lose Kilgharrah? It just wasn't fair.

"Remember what you promised me," said Kilgharrah. "You must save Aithusa. Only you, the last Dragonlord, can do it."

"Surely you've got more time," Merlin insisted. "Surely _we've _got more time."

"I'm sorry, Merlin." Kilgharrah spread his wings, but before he took off he had one more thing to say. "Just know this: everything you deserve is coming to you."

"What does that mean?" Merlin asked, but the dragon did not answer. Instead he took off into the air, not looking back at Merlin as he flew away. Merlin called after him, but Kilgharrah said nothing. Instead he roared, his way of saying goodbye to the warlock who had done so much for Albion and who he was proud to call a friend.

"Goodbye, Kilgharrah," Merlin whispered, staring at the sky for a long while before turning and heading back to Camelot.

* * *

It was nearly daylight by the time Merlin arrived back in the chambers he shared with Gaius. He was silent and sullen, so much so that he didn't even notice that Gaius was awake and staring at him until the elderly man spoke. "Merlin?" he said. "Where have you been?"

"Hm?" said Merlin, his mind elsewhere. "I was just walking. I needed to clear my head. And say goodbye to an old friend."

"What do you mean?" Gaius asked, concerned.

"Kilgharrah called for me, last night," Merlin explained. "Gaius, he… he called for me so he could say goodbye."

"Oh, my boy…" Gaius stepped towards Merlin, pulling him into an embrace. As Gaius held him close Merlin could feel the tears brimming in his eyes again, but this time he let them fall. Even though he knew Kilgharrah wasn't dead yet Merlin cried for his friend, for the dragon that had infuriated him at times but had helped him with so much. His soul-brother. As a Dragonlord- the _only_ Dragonlord- the fact that one of the only dragons left in Albion was close to death tore at Merlin's heart. He felt like he was about to lose a part of himself.

When Merlin felt like he was out of tears, he pulled away from Gaius and said, "Kilgharrah had one final request for me. He… he wants me to save Aithusa."

"What are you going to do?" Gaius asked.

"I have to do it, don't I?" said Merlin. "Not just for him, but for me. She's the last dragon, and I'm the last Dragonlord. It's my duty, Gaius. I have to at least _try_ to save her. It'll haunt me forever if I don't." Merlin looked at Gaius. "You don't think I should do it, do you?"

"Merlin, I'd be surprised if you _didn't_ try to rescue Aithusa," said Gaius. "It's in your nature to save people. And as you said, you _are_ the last Dragonlord. I know you need to do this."

"Why do I feel like you have something more to say?" said Merlin.

Gaius chuckled. "I just want you to be careful, Merlin," he said. "Especially when people find out about who you are. We can't lose you now, not when there's still work to do to really bring magic back to this kingdom."

"I'll be careful," Merlin promised with a slight smile. "I've got other things to do first, anyway. Like going to Ealdor and seeing mother."

"She'll be very happy to see you, Merlin," said Gaius. "She's missed you."

"I know. I've missed her too," said Merlin. "It's been far, far too long since I last saw her. And no doubt word would've gotten to Ealdor about Camlann, and mother would've guessed that I was there. She needs to know that I'm okay." A thought hit him suddenly, and he spoke again. "Did you know that when Cenred was defeated, Arthur made sure to claim Ealdor as part of Camelot's new land? He said he did it so he'd be able to help if anything happened again."

"I'm not surprised he did," said Gaius. "I know he hated the fact that he couldn't send in the army when Ealdor was raided by bandits. And he _does_ care about you, Merlin."

"Hmm. I am surprised he didn't tell me, though."

"Arthur has never been one to voice his emotions," Gaius pointed out. "Nor has he been one to openly show his gratitude towards you, either."

Merlin chuckled. "No, no he has not."

As if he knew he was being talked about, there was a knock on the door and Arthur appeared, looking around hesitantly. "Merlin? Get a move on, I want to leave soon."

"Yes, Arthur." Merlin, as a result of his escapades during the night, was already fully dressed, and already had a full pack of provisions ready for their trip sitting by the door. "I'm ready."

"Good. I've got two horses saddled and ready to go. They're waiting for us outside," Arthur said. Arthur was in full armour, just in case they ran into any Saxons on their journey, and his sword was hanging on his hip. He looked the very picture of calm, as if this was a journey like the ones the two of them always took. Both Arthur and Merlin knew, though, that this was no ordinary trip. They were still the greatest of friends and Arthur _had_ forgiven Merlin, but there was something different between them now. It would take a little while to get their friendship back to the way it was.

"Merlin? Is something wrong?" Arthur asked. Merlin was distracted, his mind still on the dying Kilgharrah and what he had asked Merlin to do. Pulling himself back to the here and now, Merlin shook his head.

"I'm okay," he said. "Just thinking. Let's go, then." With a small glance back at Gaius, Merlin left the room. Arthur looked back at Gaius, the question on his face. Gaius merely shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head after Merlin. Arthur sighed; he didn't think he'd ever understand that man.

Merlin appeared in the doorway. "Well, are you coming? I thought you were the one who wanted to leave, sire."

"You can't tell _me_ what to do, _Mer_lin," said Arthur, but he still strode from the room, Merlin trailing behind him. Both men had a feeling that, on this trip, they'd learn more about each other than they'd ever imagined.


	9. Homecoming

_A/N: So this chapter got away from me... at one point I was struggling to think of things to write, and the next it was six pages long in Word. I blame uni assignments for temporarily quashing my creativity._

* * *

_Chapter Nine: Homecoming_

* * *

Arthur and Merlin rode in complete silence for nearly an hour after they left Camelot. Neither of them had any idea what to say; so much had already been said, but at the same time there was so much more left to say to each other.

They were riding side by side through the forest when Arthur finally spoke. "Were there times when you nearly did it?" Arthur asked. "When you nearly told me about your magic?"

"There were," said Merlin, nodding. "So many times. The first time was when we first came back to Ealdor, when Kanen and his men were attacking the village. Right before, when I wanted to tell you something…"

"It wasn't about Will," Arthur realised. "You didn't want to tell me that he was a sorcerer. You wanted to tell me that _you_ were."

Merlin nodded again. "If Morgana hadn't interrupted us, I probably would've done it."

"I'm glad you didn't," said Arthur suddenly, drawing confused looks from Merlin. "I'm glad you didn't get a chance to tell me. I don't know what I would've done. I can't be sure that I wouldn't have run you through with my sword."

"Which is exactly why I never told you," Merlin reminded him. "I told you, I never wanted to put you in that position."

As it had the first time, Merlin's reason for never telling Arthur about his magic marvelled the king. When he'd first found out about and seen Merlin's magic, he'd thought the whole reason that Merlin hadn't already told him was because he didn't trust Arthur, or he just didn't want him to know. But he _had_ wanted Arthur to know- he'd always wanted that. _So much_. He just hadn't wanted Arthur to have to deal with the emotional turmoil of what to do about it.

"Do the villagers know? About your magic?" Arthur asked, to try and take his mind off the burden Merlin's secret must have been.

"Nah. Mother was scared about what they would do to me if they knew," said Merlin, trying to sound nonchalant. Arthur could tell, though, that Merlin felt anything but. Ealdor is a great village, but… I didn't fit in there. And the people there are scared of the unknown, of things bigger and more powerful than what they can understand. If they knew what I am… they could've hurt me. They could've killed me." Merlin took a deep breath; this wasn't a topic he liked to think of very often. Arthur tried to catch his eye, but Merlin refused to look at him.

Eventually, Merlin spoke again. "Will found out about my magic not long before I came to Camelot," he continued, still refusing to look at Arthur. "That was the catalyst in my mother's decision to send me to Gaius in Camelot. If one person knew… she was afraid that that would lead to the rest of the village finding out."

"Are you still afraid of them finding out?"

"Yes and no," said Merlin. "Not for the same reasons, though. I don't want to hide from _anyone_ anymore, but at the same time, I'm afraid of them treating me differently. But I'm not afraid of them hurting me anymore. I can easily defend myself."

"And if anyone tries to hurt you because of your magic, they _will_ regret it. I'll make sure of it," Arthur vowed, surprising Merlin. The warlock finally looked up at his king, seeing the sincerity and determination in his expression. After staring at each other for several long moments, both men started to laugh. They laughed long and hard, until tears were running down their faces.

When both men finally quietened down, they looked at each other and smiled. "I needed that," Merlin admitted.

"Me too," Arthur agreed. "After Camlann and Morgana, and finding out about you… I needed a good laugh."

Merlin's good mood didn't last for long, though. As they were riding through the forest a great pang of grief shot through Merlin, so terrible that he cried out. Arthur immediately pulled his horse to a halt and turned to look at Merlin, concerned. "Merlin? Are you alright?" he asked.

"I… I don't know," Merlin admitted. But the grief hit him again and this time it stayed, threatening to overwhelm him. He could feel tears in his eyes and he wiped at them furiously with the back of his hand, trying to wipe them away. He didn't want Arthur to see him cry. He couldn't even think about why he was suddenly filled with such a tremendous grief. Then he remembered. _Kilgharrah_. The Great Dragon. The dragon was dying.

"Kilgharrah…" Merlin whispered, loud enough that Arthur heard him.

"Merlin…?" he said, confused and concerned, but Merlin didn't pay him any attention. Instead he was listening to the loud, powerful voice sounding inside of his head.

"Farewell, young warlock," the voice said. "Remember your promise to me; you must find Aithusa. And there is one other thing you must know: once your king eventually passes through to Avalon, take heart, because even though you cannot join him, when Albion's need is greatest the Once and Future King will rise again.

"Goodbye, Merlin."

Merlin knew Kilgharrah was dead now. He sagged forward in his saddle, not even trying to prevent the tears from spilling over anymore. The creature that had helped Merlin with so much, who had told him of his great destiny, and who had also saved Merlin's life, was gone.

Arthur immediately jumped down from his horse, going to Merlin's side and holding his horse in place. "Merlin? What's wrong? Please, tell me."

"The dragon," Merlin said, but he couldn't say any more. He just couldn't get the words out.

"The one that flew us to find Gwaine and Percival? The one that flew us to the Lake of Avalon?" said Arthur. Merlin nodded. "What about him?"

"He's dead," Merlin whispered. "I felt him _die_."

"Oh, Merlin…" said Arthur. He didn't know what else to say. What _did_ you say to the last Dragonlord, who had just felt a dragon die? "I'm sorry."

Merlin shook his head. "I knew this was coming," he said. "He called for me last night. He told me. And told me that there's something he wants me to do."

"What?" Arthur asked.

"He wants me to find Aithusa, Morgana's dragon, and save her," Merlin answered.

"He wants you to save _Morgana's dragon_?" Arthur gasped. "Merlin, that beast tried to kill us all!"

"It is not just a _beast_," said Merlin. "Dragons are creatures entirely of magic. They are meant to be unshackled, free to roam the earth. When Morgana was held prisoner for two years, Aithusa was with her, kept in an _underground pit_. She was only a _baby_. It stunted her growth, and warped her mind. In all that time, Morgana was the _only one_ who showed her kindness. If you were Aithusa, wouldn't you do anything you could to help her?"

"I guess…" said Arthur. "But Merlin, you don't have to do this."

"Yes I _do_," Merlin insisted. "Don't you see, Arthur? I am the last Dragonlord, and she is the last dragon in all of Albion. I cannot _live_ with myself if I don't at least _try_ to help her."

Arthur could see the fierce determination in Merlin's eyes, but also the incredible guilt that he was trying to keep hidden. Merlin blamed himself for Aithusa's predicament, Arthur realised. He must've thought that if he had been able to look after Aithusa, none of this would have happened.

Arthur placed a hand on Merlin's arm. "You'll save her, Merlin," he said. "You managed to save me, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but that's _different_," said Merlin. "I had help with that, and I already had the power over life and death-"

"Power over life and death?" Arthur repeated, interrupting Merlin. "You said that when we found Gwaine. Is this the thing that you said you'd tell me later?"

Merlin looked at Arthur, as if fighting with himself to decide whether to tell Arthur or not, before sighing. "Yeah," he said. "The Sidhe helped me remove the blade from your body, and fight off its power. But to save the life of one who would otherwise die, somebody else must die in their place. In your case, Gwaine. Not every sorcerer has the power over life and death. Not every sorcerer can take the life of one person to save another."

"But you can," Arthur concluded.

Merlin nodded. "I've only done it once before."

"When?"

"The Questing Beast," said Merlin. "Its bite is fatal. There is no way to cure it."

"But I survived it," Arthur pointed out, confused.

"That you did," said Merlin. "Because I went to a high priestess, and she gave me water from the Cup of Life. She warned me that to save a life- in this case, yours, another must be given it its place."

"But who…?" Arthur started to ask, but then he remembered. Not long after Arthur had woken up, Merlin had come to him and told him that he was happy to be Arthur's servant _until the day he died_. "You. You meant to sacrifice yourself in my place." Even in those early days of their friendship, Merlin had valued Arthur's life more than his own.

"Your life is worth a hundred of mine, Arthur," said Merlin. "I knew, even then, about the great king you would become. You needed to live, and I wasn't going to let anybody else die. But the high priestess knew of my magic, so she tried to take my mother. And Gaius knew I was going to sacrifice myself in her place, so he went to sacrifice _himself_ instead, and I got so _angry_, and I just… killed her. Instead of you dying, she did."

"Wow…" Arthur breathed. There was really nothing else to say. The power that Merlin possessed was _immense_, especially if he could use it in this way… And he used it all for Arthur. He did _all _of this for Arthur.

"What did I ever do to inspire such loyalty, Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"You were you," said Merlin simply. "You are a just, and kind, and _great_ king. And you cared about and trusted me, a servant, even when we barely knew each other."

Arthur shook his head. He knew there were far greater men than he out there- Merlin himself was proof of that. Although, Arthur knew that he would do just about anything for Merlin. It wasn't _that_ much of a stretch to realise that Merlin would do the same for him, he supposed.

Arthur had all but forgotten the original topic of conversation, until Merlin brought it up again. "I have to save her, Arthur," he said almost desperately.

"I understand, Merlin," said Arthur. "Well, no, not really. I don't know what it's like to be a Dragonlord. But I know what it's like to have to save someone or something, even when no one else thinks you should or no one else thinks it's possible. Whatever you need to do, you do."

Merlin nodded, smiling gratefully. "I guess I feel even _more_ responsible, not just because I'm the last Dragonlord, but because I'm the one who hatched her. A dragon cannot hatch from their egg until a Dragonlord calls them worth. I'm the one who named her Aithusa- it means 'light of the sun'."

"Too bad that's not what she is," said Arthur wistfully.

"She could have been. It's not her fault. It's Sarrum's," Merlin spat. "For imprisoning her in that pit. She was small enough then, but she grew and grew, and because she didn't have enough room she became twisted and warped. She would've been in _so much pain_, Arthur. That's why she was so willing to help Morgana- for two long years, she was the only one to show Aithusa any kindness. I realise I had no idea what Aithusa was going through, but I still have to make up for not helping her. And who knows? Maybe if I _do_ save her, she'll be a powerful ally for Camelot."

"I hope you do get a chance to save her, Merlin," said Arthur sincerely. "Now, shall we get back on the road? You _are_ the one who wanted to see your mother, after all."

"Yes, lets go," Merlin agreed. Arthur climbed back onto his horse and the pair continued, onwards towards Ealdor.

* * *

It took another twenty-four hours before Merlin and Arthur finally arrived in Ealdor. They spent a great part of the rest of the trip talking, although none of this was about Merlin's many secrets. Arthur knew Merlin's mind was elsewhere, already with his mother. They set up camp in the forest, both men falling asleep almost instantly.

The pair didn't talk much the next day, though. The feeling of anticipation was rising inside Merlin; he hadn't seen his mother in _so long_. He missed her- hell, he missed her every day they were apart, but now he was about to see her again, he felt it _more_. He felt it so much, that it was like a physical pain in his heart. Arthur understood this, and so he said nothing. He knew how long it had been since Merlin had seen his mother, and he also knew how much she meant to Merlin. And, after everything they had been through, Arthur wanted to give Merlin this- a moment that was just him and his mother.

No one in Ealdor had been told that Merlin and Arthur were coming, so there was no one waiting to greet them when they'd arrived. It wasn't long, though, before villagers began to notice the two men on horses who had ridden into town, and that those two men were the king and his manservant, who happened to be Hunith's son. Children ran beside the horses, calling out "Long live the king!" which made Merlin laugh.

"There isn't much excitement in the village," Merlin explained. "Meeting the king of Camelot could very well be the high point in these children's lives. If only they knew what a big dollop head you were."

"I am you _king_, _Mer_lin!" Arthur hissed.

"And you never let me forget it," Merlin retorted.

Evidently someone had run ahead to tell Hunith her son and the King of Camelot were here, because she emerged from her house and began looking around. "Mother!" Merlin cried, jumping down from his horse and running towards her.

"Merlin!" said Hunith happily as her son embraced her. He buried his face in her shoulder, like he had down when he was younger, and she held him close as she stroked his head. "What brings you to Ealdor?" She looked up and nearly jumped, only just noticing Arthur's presence. "And with the _king, too_?"

Merlin pulled back from Hunith. She studied her son's face curiously. He looked… different, somehow, as if something had changed in him. He looked much older, and worn, as if he had experienced a lot since she'd last laid eyes on him. But at the same time, Merlin looked happy. Happier than she could remember him being in a long time.

"What can I say, mother? I need him just as much as he needs me," said Merlin. "Only don't tell him that. He'll never let me hear the end of it."

Hunith laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it," she promised. "But Merlin, please, tell me why you're here. Has something happened?"

"Oh, a lot's happened," said Merlin. "Can we go inside, though? There are… things that Arthur and I would rather not discuss in the open."

"Of course," said Hunith. Turning to Arthur, who was still mounted on his horse and was hanging back, looking rather awkward, she added, "You must be tired, my lord. Come inside, and I'll get you something to eat and drink."

"Thank you, Hunith. That would be very kind of you," said Arthur sincerely, climbing down gracefully from his horse. "Is there somewhere we can put our horses, though? I'm sure they're tired as well."

"I'll just get Jasper to take them for you," said Hunith. She beckoned to someone and a man Merlin recognised came forward, nodding to him and bowing to Arthur before scurrying away with the horses. "Come with me." Hunith turned into her house with Merlin close behind her, and Arthur a couple of steps back. Part of him felt like he was intruding, but Merlin had wanted him there, after all. And Hunith looked happy to see him.

Once they were all settled, and Hunith had gotten cups of water for Merlin and Arthur, she said, "Merlin, is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's okay," said Merlin, and he meant it. "Everything's better than it has been for a while. Well, Gwaine did just die, but other than that-"

"_Mer_lin, you're rambling again," Arthur interrupted.

Merlin glowered at the king. "Sorry, sire," he said, but then he smiled. "There's just a lot to say, that's all." He turned back to his mother. "Morgana is dead."

"She's dead?" Hunith repeated. "It's over?"

"It's all over," Merlin confirmed. Hunith leant forward, hugging her son tightly to her chest. "I did it, mother."

"You did. I knew you would," Hunith whispered in his ear. "I knew you would. I'm so proud of you, Merlin."

Merlin had missed this- his mother's presence, her comforting touch, her proud words. He'd missed _her_.

Eventually Merlin knew they couldn't stay like that any longer, and he pulled away. He looked over at Arthur, a question in his eyes, and the king nodded at him. "There's more," Merlin said to his mother. "He knows. Arthur knows."

Panicking, Hunith looked at Arthur, her eyes wide, before looking back at Merlin "He… he _does_? The king knows about you? About your _magic_?"

"Relax, mother, it's okay," Merlin assured her, reaching out and taking her head. "He's not going to hurt me."

"Merlin saved my life, Hunith," said Arthur. "He brought me back from the brink of death. He nearly single-handedly defeated Morgana's entire army. And I've only learnt about _some_ of the things that he's done for me in the past, and I suspect that there's many more. I could never have Merlin killed, or even exiled."

Hunith smiled at Arthur, relief that her son was safe flooding through her, but still feeling confused. "But, sire, you'd be breaking your own laws," Hunith pointed out.

Arthur laughed. "Please, call me Arthur," he insisted. "And yes, I am aware that, technically, I'm breaking my own laws in letting Merlin live- and Gaius too, I've heard- but I won't be for much longer."

"I don't understand," said Hunith.

"Mother, he's repealing the magic ban!" said Merlin.

Hunith looked between Arthur and her son and back again, as Merlin's words sunk in. "You… you are?" she gasped.

"I think it would be a pretty poor way to repay everything Merlin has done for me if I _didn't_," said Arthur. "Merlin, and others like him, deserves to be able to live without fear that he isn't going to be killed just because of who he is. He deserves to be free. And now I realise… that fear my father instilled in everyone, instilled in _me_, of how evil magic is, is wrong. It always has been."

Hunith had tears in her eyes now, which she tried to wipe away surreptitiously. She didn't want to cry in front of the king, and she didn't want Merlin to fuss over her. It was _her_ job to fuss over _him_, after all. "Speaking as Merlin's mother, I've always known how special he is. I know how much he deserves to be free."

"Believe me, I've always known how special Merlin is," said Arthur, refusing to make eye contact with Merlin as he spoke. "I just never knew the reasons why."

Merlin shifted in his seat. He always felt uncomfortable when other people were talking about him while he was there, whether it was good or bad. And to hear _Arthur_ talking about him like that, when they weren't in or had just gotten out of a life or death situation was something Merlin was not used to.

Realising that Merlin was not going to say anything else right now, Hunith got to her feet. "You boys are probably starving," she said. "I'll make us some dinner, shall I?" Before either man could respond Hunith was off and cooking, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone with their thoughts.

* * *

_A/N:Anyone else really love Merlin's mother? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Now I'm gonna go back to writing my lab report... *sigh*_


End file.
